Appeals Court Reduces Aricell CEO Sentence to 4 Years in Deadly Factory Fire Case
Reduced from 15-year sentence for 2024 lithium battery plant fire that killed 23 workers
نظرة سريعة
- An appeals court in South Korea reduced the prison sentence of Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan to four years from 15 years over a deadly fire at the company's lithium battery plant in June 2024 that killed 23 workers and injured nine.
- The court found insufficient grounds to determine Park intended to evade liability under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
- Park's son, a company general manager, also saw his sentence reduced from 15 to seven years.
ملخص مُنشأ بالذكاء الاصطناعي
SUWON, South Korea, April 22 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court on Wednesday reduced the prison sentence for lithium battery maker Aricell's chief executive officer (CEO) to four years over a deadly fire at the company's plant in 2024. The Suwon High Court handed down the significantly reduced term to Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan from a 15-year sentence by a lower court in connection with the blaze in June 2024 that killed 23 workers and injured nine others. In September, the Suwon District Court delivered the heavy punishment for Park, who had been indicted on multiple charges, including failing to secure workplace safety and violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The appeals court recognized the "grave" consequences of the fire, but it found insufficient grounds to determine that Park intended to evade liability under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The court also sentenced Park's son, a company general manager, to seven years in prison, reducing the lower court's 15-year sentence. The Serious Accidents Punishment Act punishes owners or CEOs of companies with at least one year in prison or fines of up to 1 billion won (US$677,000) for fatal industrial accidents.
