Top Aricell executives sentenced to 15 years for deadly fire
A South Korean court has sentenced the chief executive of lithium battery maker Aricell to 15 years in prison over a factory fire that killed 23 workers last year, in what Reuters reported is the toughest ruling to date under the country’s industrial safety law.
The fire broke out on June 24, 2024, at Aricell’s plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, after several batteries exploded. 23 workers were killed, and eight others were injured.
According to Reuters, Suwon District Court found CEO Park Soon-kwan guilty of failing to ensure proper safety measures were in place, ruling that the fire was “not an unpredictable” accident given the factory’s operating conditions.
Park’s son, a senior executive at the company, was also sentenced to 15 years in prison, Reuters reports.
Investigators said Aricell failed to implement proper safety protocols or provide adequate training, relied heavily on temporary workers, and ignored signs of dangerous quality defects while rushing to meet production deadlines.
Park had previously issued a public apology but denied allegations of safety lapses.