Four‑year prison term finalised for battery maker Aricell CEO over deadly plant fire
SEOUL, Oct 20 — The Supreme Court on Tuesday finalised a four-year prison sentence for the head of lithium battery...
On October 20, the Supreme Court finalized a four-year prison sentence for Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan for failing to implement adequate safety measures at the company's factory, resulting in a deadly fire that killed 23 workers and injured nine in 2024, according to Yonhap News Agency. Initially sentenced to 15 years in prison by a district court for violating safety obligations under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the heaviest sentence ever given to a CEO under the law enacted in 2022, the appellate court reduced Park's sentence to four years in prison, clearing him and his son of the charge of failing to install an emergency exit on the factory's second floor.
The court pointed out that safety rules do not mandate exits on every floor. The appellate court also considered the company's compensation to the families of the victims. The Supreme Court upheld the appeals court's decision, as well as Park's son, who received a seven-year prison term, initially sentenced to 15 years by the district court.
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