Tag: crime

This was a long time coming and a well deserved punishment that hopefully acts as a deterrent to all the other idiot social media influencers looking to act the fool in South Korea:

American YouTuber Johnny Somali, who sparked outrage in South Korea two years ago after kissing a statue symbolizing Korean victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, was sentenced by a court Wednesday to six months in prison and remanded in custody.

Somali was indicted by South Korean authorities on multiple charges, including obstruction of business and violations of minor public order laws.

He is accused of uploading a video of himself kissing a “Statue of Peace” that commemorates the former sex slaves in Seoul and performing a lewd dance in front of it in October 2024. He also provoked public outrage by causing disturbances on buses, subways and an amusement park, vandalizing a convenience store in Seoul’s Mapo district and playing obscene videos in public.

The Seoul Western District Court sentenced Somali to six months in prison and 20 days of detention and barred him from employment at institutions related to children and adolescents for five years.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is pretty amazing that with everything going on in Korea and the world that the top story currently over at Yonhap’s English page is of a bar fight in Hongdae involving an American Soldier:

An American soldier was booked Sunday for allegedly assaulting a South Korean man at a nightclub in Seoul’s Hongdae district, police said.

The 20-something member of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) was apprehended at the scene after allegedly assaulting the man around 3 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Mapo Police Station.

The altercation reportedly began after the victim bumped shoulders with the soldier’s party and resulted in him sustaining a fractured nose.

The soldier was transferred to the USFK in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement, which governs the legal status of the 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.

Police said they will decide on the next steps after determining the details of the incident.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but I can remember the days when incidents like this would lead to massive protests due to lies about the SOFA agreement. Fortunately those days appear to be long gone.

This is just a truly weird case and I can only imagine the shock of his command team had when thy had to deal with this:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C.

The military’s highest court has upheld the dismissal of a case involving an airman who said he performed sexual acts with a childlike silicone doll in the privacy of his dorm room. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces on Monday affirmed the judgment of the Air Force criminal appeals court, which ruled that Airman Zachary Rocha’s conduct was constitutionally protected.

In the court’s majority opinion, justices wrote they lacked the authority to make their own findings of fact and reviewed an appeals’ court decision for the application of “correct legal principles.” The high court wrote that it was not sure another review by the Air Force appeals court was justified, stating justices answered the most important question when they “stated Rocha had a constitutionally protected liberty interest to privately engage in sexual activities with his doll,” according to court papers.

But in a scathing dissent from the majority, the court’s top judge warned the decision lowers the legal threshold for deviant behavior among personnel and sends a message that the U.S. military’s justice system accepts “the unabashed sexualization of children.” “And so,” wrote Chief Judge Keith Ohlson, “hundreds of thousands of servicemembers who serve in the Air Force and Space Force are now authorized to penetrate … child sex dolls while on base and at their leisure. “ (……..)

Rocha admitted to purchasing a silicone sex doll, described in court filings as being about 4 feet tall with female prepubescent features. It was discovered in his room about three weeks after he bought the doll during an on-base dormitory inspection. Those who saw the clothed doll on Rocha’s bed said they were startled by its lifelike appearance, according to court documents.

An Air Force investigator testified in 2021 that he “saw a doll that scared (him) because it kind of looked like a child,” according to court filings. Rocha told investigators he benefited emotionally from the doll, whom he named Adele. He also said he engaged in sexual acts with the doll but denied having sexual interest in children, court papers state. Rocha said he stopped his sexual activity when realizing the doll looked childlike, according to court documents.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but I think the way the military can handle this is just issue a sweeping policy letter that forbids these child sex dolls in the barracks.

If the ruling party tries to stop this proposal it will be a sign that the crime data will likely show most foreigner crime comes from China:

A lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require the government to compile and publish crime statistics involving foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, claiming the need for more precise data to guide immigration and public safety policies.

Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party submitted a revision to the Immigration Control Act on Monday that would require the Ministry of Justice to compile and publish comprehensive annual statistics — including border crossings, foreign resident status and crimes involving foreign nationals — broken down by nationality and type of stay.

The move reflects a growing push in Seoul for data‑driven evidence as Korea’s population rapidly diversifies. By demanding detailed breakdowns, proponents hope to move beyond generalizations, even as critics warn that such disclosures risk stigmatizing migrants and fueling an already sensitive national debate over immigration.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

The plan for Cho Kuk’s revenge gets closer to completion:

A special counsel team requested an arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee on Thursday, a day after questioning her over allegations of election meddling and other irregularities.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team said it filed for the warrant on charges of violations of the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act and a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation.

“We requested it upon determining that the criteria for an arrest warrant were met,” assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee said during a press briefing.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Not a good look in regards to whatever was going on here:

A special counsel team said Wednesday it has launched an investigation into allegations surrounding a close acquaintance of former first lady Kim Keon Hee.

The team led by special counsel Min Joong-ki said the woman, surnamed Kim and known as the former first lady’s “stewardess,” left the country in April and has not returned.

The woman is suspected of having received 18 billion won (US$13 million) in investments from businesses through irregular means.

“We confirmed that she transferred the addresses of her office and family members,” assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju said during a press briefing. “We plan to take steps, including invalidating her passport.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Fining and deporting him after he pays his fine is probably the proper punishment for this attention seeking idiot:

An American YouTuber known as Johnny Somali, who is currently on trial for offensive behavior, could be deported and banned from reentering South Korea if convicted, a local lawyer said.

The 24-year-old whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael faces three charges, which include obstruction of business and violations of the Minor Offenses Act. He is not physically detained, although he is banned from leaving the country.

Kim Ju-hyeong, a senior attorney at the law firm Majung, who specializes in immigration and industrial accident law, said if he is found guilty of any of the charges, the local immigration office will likely demand he leave the country.

“Foreigners are ordered to leave the country, either voluntarily or forcibly, if their criminal actions result in a fine of more than 3 million won ($2,058). Considering the multiple charges against Ismael and the serious nature of his offenses, it is very unlikely that he will receive a lighter penalty than this,” he said.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Here is an update on the embattled daughter of former President Moon:

Prosecutors on Wednesday indicted former President Moon Jae-in’s daughter without physical detention over alleged drunk driving and illegally operating a house-sharing business.

Moon Da-hye collided with a taxi in Seoul’s Itaewon district while trying to change lanes on Oct 5. Her blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.149 percent at the time, exceeding the 0.08 percent threshold for driver’s license revocation.

She is also accused of running an Airbnb business without official registration at three locations, comprising a studio apartment and villa in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo district, and a house on the southern resort island of Jeju.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It does not look like it is a great time to be on Okinawa right now with the increased scrutiny on military crimes:

Government officials representing Japan and Okinawa repeated pleas to the U.S. military to discipline its population following a fourth sexual assault allegation against a service member on Okinawa in just over a year. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged U.S. Forces Japan to “tighten discipline and thoroughly prevent reoccurrences” of criminal incidents involving service members, according to video of a Thursday news conference posted on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s website.

“Generally speaking, crimes and accidents caused by U.S. service members cause strong anxiety to the local community and shouldn’t happen,” Hayashi said. “The important thing is that the series of preventive measures announced by the U.S. side do actually prevent accidents and crimes.” Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Wednesday expressed “strong anger” on social media platform X about the latest case, in which Okinawa police allege a Marine in his 30s injured a woman during a sexual assault in November. That day, Okinawa Prefectural Police forwarded the case to prosecutors for possible charges, according to a police spokesman.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

I had no idea that Korea has never exonerated and released someone while in prison before:

When Kim Shin-hye was put behind bars after being found guilty of killing her father in 2000, she was only 23 years old. After spending 24 years in prison, she was declared innocent in a court ruling.

Judges at the Gwangju District Court on Monday overturned her conviction in her retrial and ordered the Jangheung Correctional Institution to release Kim, who is now 47.

“This should never be repeated,” Kim said as she exited the facility. “It could’ve been corrected (earlier). But it took 25 years. (In prison,) I thought a lot about why it should take such a long time … I’ll do my part to prevent a recurrence of such tragedy.”

It is the first case of a prisoner being exonerated and released for a wrongful conviction while still serving time in prison in Korea.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link that explains how a false confession and misinformation by the prosecutors caused her to be convicted.