Four‑year prison term finalised for battery maker Aricell CEO over deadly plant fire

Firefighters gather at the site of a fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell in Hwaseong on June 24, 2024. — AFP pic

First Published: Tuesday, 20 Oct 2026 4:32 PM MYT

SEOUL, Oct 20 — The Supreme Court on Tuesday finalised a four-year prison sentence for the head of lithium battery maker Aricell for failing to take enough safety measures at the company’s factory where a deadly fire killed 23 workers and injured nine in 2024, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Aricell chief executive officer (CEO) Park Soon-kwan was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison by a district court for violating his obligations to ensure safety at the factory in Hwaseong, 45 kilometres south of Seoul, under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

It was the heaviest sentence ever handed down to a CEO after the law took effect in 2022.

Under the law, business owners or CEOs can face a minimum prison sentence of one year and/or a maximum fine of 1 billion won (RM3.08 million) for fatal industrial accidents.

But the appeals court reduced the sentence to four years in prison, clearing Park and his son, who works as a managing director of the company, of a key charge that they failed to install an emergency exit on the factory’s second floor.

The court noted that safety rules do not specifically require exits on every floor.

The appellate court also took into consideration the company’s settlements with the victims’ bereaved families.

On Tuesday, the top court upheld the appeals court’s verdict.

The Supreme Court also finalised a seven-year prison term for Park’s son.

The district court had initially sentenced him to 15 years in prison. — Bernama-Yonhap