Johnny Somali displays the Japanese Rising Sun flag. Captured from social media

Johnny Somali, the U.S. YouTuber indicted for mocking Korea's Statue of Peace, a statue symbolizing victims of sexual slavery during Japanese colonial rule, and engaging in other offensive acts, has again drawn criticism for his disruptive behavior during trial proceedings.

Somali, who is standing trial on charges including obstruction of business, appeared an hour late to his hearing at the Seoul Western District Court on March 7. He responded to questions with his hands in his pockets and maintained an uncooperative attitude throughout the session, Yonhap reported.

Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, called for a strong sentence to set an example, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.

"Even after the first hearing, he continues to show no remorse, making outrageous remarks like 'Korea is a U.S. vassal state' to the press," Seo wrote on social media Monday. "We must send a clear message through strong punishment."

Seo criticized his courtroom demeanor, noting that Somali attempted to enter the courtroom wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat, but was stopped due to court regulations.

"He even made mocking gestures like sticking out his tongue at someone seated in the courtroom gallery," Seo added.

The professor further condemned Somali's past actions, including kissing the comfort woman statue, displaying the Rising Sun flag and shouting, "It's not Dokdo, it's Takeshima," in reference to the disputed islets.

"These are clear insults to Korean history," Seo said. "I hope this case results in an appropriate ruling so that such incidents never happen again in Korea."

This article is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.