Park Soon-kwan, CEO of Arisell, has received a confirmed four-year prison sentence for his role in the fire tragedy that claimed the lives of 23 people. Initially sentenced to 15 years, the term was reduced by 11 years in the appeals court, and the Supreme Court upheld this decision.
On October 20, the Supreme Court's first division, led by Justice Cheon Dae-yeop, dismissed both Park's and the prosecution's appeals, stating there was no legal misunderstanding in the lower court's ruling. The court found that Park, as the overall business manager, fell under the management responsibilities outlined in the Serious Accident Punishment Act and violated safety obligations, establishing a significant causal link to the workers' deaths.
The Supreme Court ruled that merely having risk assessment procedures under the Industrial Safety and Health Act does not fulfill the obligations to identify and improve hazardous factors as required by the Serious Accident Punishment Act. Although Arisell had relevant regulations, they did not reflect the characteristics of the lithium battery manufacturing process, and risk assessments had not been conducted since 2023.
Conversely, the charges related to emergency exits and passageways were upheld as not guilty by the appeals court. The court determined that since there was an emergency exit on the first floor, there was no obligation to install one on the second floor, and there was no clear legal basis for defining emergency passageways.
The appeals court noted that Park's agreement with all the families of the deceased should be considered a mitigating factor, criticizing the lower court for only partially acknowledging this agreement. Although some family members later petitioned for harsher penalties, the court ruled that the circumstances of the agreement should not be viewed unfavorably. It also considered that Park's actions did not indicate a complete disregard for safety measures.
Park's son, Park Jung-eon, who was also indicted, received a confirmed sentence of seven years and a fine of 1 million won. His negligence in failing to implement fire safety measures, including monitoring battery heat and conducting safety training, was acknowledged, while the appeals court maintained that he was not the overall business manager. The corporation Arisell was fined 800 million won. The executive director of management support received a sentence of 1 year and 6 months, suspended for 3 years, while the head of the environmental and safety department received a sentence of 1 year and 6 months, also suspended for 3 years. An employee from the production management team was acquitted.
The tragedy occurred on June 24, 2024, at the Arisell factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, when a lithium primary battery exploded, resulting in 23 deaths and 9 injuries. Among the deceased, 18 were migrant workers.
Immediately after the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, a family member in the audience protested, "Does the judge not have children? How can you dismiss this when 23 people have died?" Outside the courtroom, another family member expressed, "I am devastated by my daughter's death. She lived such a good life," while another lamented, "Why are only the companies that commit murder being spared? They killed 23 people!" Families and advocacy groups held a press conference in front of the Supreme Court to condemn the ruling.
The families submitted a petition to the Supreme Court in June, requesting the overturning of the appeals court's ruling. They argued that the agreement made under pressure from the company should not be used as a basis for reducing the sentence. The Arisell Serious Accident Tragedy Countermeasure Committee and the Arisell Industrial Accident Victims' Family Council also submitted signatures from 1,981 citizens and over 40 handwritten petitions, urging the Supreme Court to correct the lower court's erroneous judgment and to establish legal standards that protect workers' lives and safety in line with the intent of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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