The CEO of a South Korean lithium battery manufacturer has been arrested following a factory fire that killed 23 people. The arrest is in connection with alleged violations of industrial safety regulations.
On Wednesday evening, the Suwon District Court approved an arrest warrant for Park Soon-kwan, CEO of Aricell, in connection with the incident in June. A court official confirmed the development. The court also issued an arrest warrant for Park’s son, an executive at Aricell.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Labor and Employment, Park faces charges in connection with the deaths of 23 people allegedly caused by the use of unqualified contract workers to handle hazardous materials with significant fire risks.
The arrest is notable as the first instance of a company head being held accountable under the Serious Disasters Punishment Act, which was enacted in 2022 to address management responsibility in industrial accidents. Under the law, company owners and executives could face up to a year in prison or a fine of up to 1 billion won (about $835,000) for accidents that result in deaths or serious injuries.
Police reports last week indicated that the fire at the Hwaseong factory, located about 45 kilometers south of Seoul, occurred as the company tried to meet a deadline without addressing apparent quality control problems.
The incident has brought renewed attention to industrial safety concerns in South Korea, a nation with a history of industrial accidents attributed to lapses in corporate oversight. Previous incidents include the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster and the 1995 Sampoong department store collapse, which killed 476 and more than 500 people, respectively.
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