An American YouTuber has been sentenced to six months in prison with hard labour by a South Korean court following a series of controversial livestream incidents.

Johnny Somali was remanded in custody after being convicted on multiple charges, including obstruction of business and the distribution of fabricated sexual images under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

The ruling was delivered on April 15 by Judge Park Gee-won of the Seoul Western District Court, as reported by Chosun Biz.

The court also imposed an additional 20 days of detention and a five-year employment ban at institutions connected to children, teenagers and people with disabilities. Prosecutors had previously sought a three-year prison sentence along with a fine of 150,000 won.

The sentence includes hard labour, described as among the most severe penalties under Korean law. “The prosecution sought three years of hard labor. Johnny will spend his time in a specialized labor camp where he will be deprived of any cell phone use and marked as a convict.”

Somali had drawn public criticism in South Korea after livestreaming behaviour considered offensive. In one incident, he filmed himself kissing the Statue of Peace, which commemorates victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery. He also broadcast actions such as waving the Rising Sun Flag and shouting “Takeshima”.

Chosun Biz reported additional allegations from October last year, including disrupting a convenience store in Seoul’s Mapo District by playing loud music and spilling food, as well as causing disturbances on public transport and in the street.

At an earlier hearing, Somali reportedly appeared in court wearing a white suit and a red hat bearing the phrase “Make America Great Again”.