Prosecutors Find Pianist Lim Dong-hyuk Not Guilty of Sending Obscene Photos

Insufficient Evidence... Decision Not to Prosecute

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Pianist Lim Donghyuk, who was accused of sending obscene photos and messages to his wife during a divorce lawsuit, was cleared of charges by the prosecution.

According to the legal community on the 11th, the Women and Children Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jang Hyeyoung) dismissed the case against pianist Lim, who was accused of obscenity using a communication medium under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, due to insufficient evidence on the 27th of last month. Lim is a performer who, after becoming the youngest winner of the Long-Thibaud Competition in France in 2001, has also been recognized in the so-called three major competitions: the Queen Elisabeth, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin competitions.

Lim was accused of sending obscene photos via KakaoTalk to his wife during their divorce lawsuit in September 2019, and of sending obscene messages by email even after their divorce in 2021. The Seoul Songpa Police Station, which investigated Lim's case, transferred him to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office without detention in October last year.

Meanwhile, Lim appealed his innocence by directly posting the notification of non-prosecution on his social networking service (SNS) the day before.