US EditionBoss jailed for 15 years over deadly fire at S Korea battery plant
The court cited safety failures and obstructed escape routes as causes of the fire that killed 23 workers, imposing the longest sentence under South Korea's Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
- Suwon District Court on Tuesday sentenced Aricell chief executive Park Soon-kwan over last year’s fire that killed 23 workers.
- The court said Park Soon-kwan violated duties to maintain evacuation exits and routes, noting the fire was not an unpredictable incident and linked to the deaths.
- Prosecutors argued that executives installed a false wall hindering escape, while the Aricell factory second floor held an estimated 35,000 battery cells and firefighters used dry sand to control the fire.
- The court handed the heaviest sentence under the 2022 law, with Park's son, senior company executive, receiving the same 15-year prison term and a fine, Suwon District Court said.
- Amid concerns about worker safety, President Lee Jae Myung said not enough is done to protect workers amid 589 job-related deaths last year, highlighting battery sector risks.
14 Articles
14 Articles
South Korea jails CEO of battery maker Aricell for 15 years over deadly fire
The CEO of a South Korean lithium battery maker where 23 workers were killed in a fire last year was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday in the toughest ruling over an industrial accident in the country.
Fire, locked exits, 23 dead: South Korean battery CEO jailed 15 years over 2024 factory blaze
SEOUL, Sept 23 — The CEO of a South Korean lithium battery maker was sentenced to 15 years in prison today over a factory fire that killed nearly two dozen workers last year.The Suwon District Court handed down the lengthy term to Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan, saying the company’s practices had prioritised profit over worker safety, according to court documents seen by AFP.The June 2024 fire at the lithium battery plant killed 23 people, most of w…
The director of a South Korean battery producer, found guilty of criminal ignorance that led to the death of 23 workers in a fire that took place last year, was sentenced to...
South Korea jails CEO of battery maker for 15 years over deadly fire
SEOUL: The chief executive of a South Korean lithium battery maker where 23 workers were killed in a fire last year was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday (Sep 23) in the toughest ruling over an industrial accident in the country.Park Soon-kwan, the CEO of the battery maker Aricell, had been charged u
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