South Korean Battery CEO Sentenced to Prison Over Deadly Factory Fire

2025-09-23 07:47:35

(MENAFN) The CEO of a South Korean battery manufacturer has been handed a 15-year prison sentence following a deadly factory fire that took 23 lives in June of the previous year, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.

Park Soon-kwan, the leader of lithium battery producer Aricell, was convicted by the Suwon District Court for breaching both the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

In addition, Park Joong-eon, the company’s head of operations and Park Soon-kwan's son, also received a 15-year prison term for violating the same laws.

Reports indicate that Aricell had been falsifying test samples since it began supplying batteries to the military in 2021, aiming to bypass quality checks illegally. After failing a quality inspection in April of the previous year, the company ramped up its production to double its usual output.

The tragic blaze at the factory claimed the lives of 23 individuals, including 17 workers from China, and left nine others injured.

MENAFN23092025000045017169ID1110098855

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.