Renowned South Korean Pianist Convicted of Soliciting Prostitution

On the 25th, the Seoul Central District Court’s 22nd Criminal Division fined pianist A 1 million won (approx. £600) for violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (prostitution).

The pianist appeared in court in person, arguing that audio recordings of the alleged encounter were collected illegally. However, the court ruled otherwise, noting that “the defendant gave the password to the complainant for certain reasons, allowing them to obtain the material,” and that “investigators later retrieved the audio files from the defendant’s phone under a lawful search warrant.”

A, who has won prizes at numerous international competitions, was accused of engaging in prostitution with a female massage therapist at a massage parlor in Seoul’s Gangnam District in 2020. In December last year, the court issued a summary order imposing a fine of 2 million won (approx. £1,200), but A contested the ruling and requested a formal trial. A summary order allows for fines without a full trial, but defendants may appeal within one week.

Having begun studying piano at age seven and winning competitions by nine, A has received awards at prestigious contests including the Busoni Competition (Italy), Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (Japan), Marguerite Long Competition (France), Queen Elisabeth Competition (Belgium), Tchaikovsky Competition (Russia), and the Chopin Competition (Poland).

Despite his prominence in Korea’s classical music scene, A has faced repeated controversies in recent years.

In 2023, during divorce proceedings, he was accused of sending obscene photos and messages to his ex-wife, though prosecutors later dropped the case. A responded at the time by saying he felt “chased by ugliness and filth” and vowed to focus on his music career.

Last year, A also filed a police complaint against his cellist girlfriend, alleging ongoing verbal and psychological abuse. According to South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper, A accused her of extortion, threats, and violating communications law.

In his filing, A claimed that since beginning a relationship with the cellist in July last year, conflicts had been continuous. He alleged she illegally accessed his phone, obtained recordings, and used them to threaten and abuse him. Each time he attempted to break up with her, she allegedly threatened to “expose your private life to reporters” or “make sure you never play the piano again.”

The cellist’s family also reportedly made threatening remarks, saying they would “use the police, prosecutors, and gangsters to injure your hands so you can’t play.”

In addition, she allegedly sent him messages such as “everyone around you is trash” to isolate him, accessed his phone to read conversations with others, and used the information for blackmail. A also claimed that evidence he had gathered of her threats was deleted from his phone.

Reports say the cellist is currently living in A’s house in Germany and has ignored requests to vacate the property.