Famous Pianist Fined in First Trial on Prostitution Charges

A well-known pianist, referred to as A, was put on trial on charges of prostitution and was sentenced to a fine in the first trial.

Seoul Central District Court. Yonhap News

On September 25, Judge Lee Jongwoo of the 22nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced A to a fine of 1 million won for violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic. A appeared in person at the sentencing hearing on this day.

During the investigation, A claimed innocence, arguing that the audio recording file obtained was illegally collected evidence. However, the court did not accept this argument. The court stated, "The investigative agency acquired the data from the defendant's mobile phone with a proper warrant," and added, "It appears that the defendant, for some reason, provided the password to the victim, and in that process, the complainant obtained the data. Afterwards, the investigative agency secured the audio recording file by obtaining a lawful warrant." The court concluded that the evidence was collected through due process.

A, who has a record of winning prizes at international competitions, was indicted on charges of engaging in prostitution with a female massage therapist at a massage parlor in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in 2020. The court issued a summary order imposing a fine of 2 million won on A in December of last year, but A objected, resulting in a formal trial.

A summary order is a procedure that imposes a fine or penalty without a formal trial, but if the defendant objects, a formal trial can be requested within one week.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.