Supreme Court ruling on Aricell CEO Park Sun-kwan due today
The final ruling in the trial over accountability for the Aricell factory fire disaster will be handed down today (June 20). The Supreme Court's First Division (presided over by Justice Chun Dae-yeb) will hold a sentencing hearing at 10 a.m. today for Aricell CEO Park Sun-kwan, who was indicted on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (a law requiring companies to fulfill safety management obligations to create good and safe workplaces), in the final trial of the case.
On June 24, 2024, a lithium battery explosion triggered a large fire at the Aricell factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, killing 23 people and injuring 8. CEO Park was brought to trial on charges of failing to properly inspect hazardous risk factors and failing to prepare a disaster response manual. His son, Park Jung-eon, head of Aricell's overall operations, was also indicted on charges of neglecting to monitor heat during battery storage and failing to conduct fire preparedness training and firefighting drills.
The district court sentenced CEO Park to 15 years in prison — the heaviest sentence imposed in a violation case since the Serious Accidents Punishment Act took effect. However, the Suwon High Court, hearing the appeal, overturned the first ruling and sentenced him to 4 years in prison, reducing the sentence by 11 years. The appellate court explained that it found the defendants had not violated the obligation to install emergency exits, and that it considered factors such as the defendants reaching settlements with all injured victims.
The key issue in this Supreme Court appeal is whether the appellate court's legal reasoning regarding the defendants' violation of their duty to ensure safety and health was appropriate. The prosecution appealed, arguing that the appellate court misinterpreted the law.
The victims' families have urged the Supreme Court to impose severe punishment. Last month, on the 2nd, the Aricell Disaster Countermeasures Committee and the Council of Families of Aricell Industrial Disaster Victims submitted a petition signed by 1,981 citizens, along with some 40 handwritten petitions, to the Supreme Court. They appealed: "We urge the Supreme Court to correct the lower court's flawed judgment and establish proper legal standards that uphold the intent of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and protect workers' lives and safety."
