[Breaking] Aricell CEO Sentenced to 15 Years in First Trial Over Fire That Killed 23

In connection with the factory fire that resulted in 23 deaths, Park Soonkwan, CEO of the primary battery company Aricell, who was indicted under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, was sentenced to a heavy prison term in the first trial.

On September 23, the 14th Criminal Division of the Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Ko Kwonhong) sentenced CEO Park to 15 years in prison for violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (industrial accident resulting in death), the Act on the Protection of Dispatched Workers, and the Industrial Safety and Health Act. Previously, the prosecution had sought a 20-year prison sentence for Park, calling the incident "the worst large-scale fatal accident since the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act."