The CEO of a South Korean lithium battery manufacturer, involved in a fire that tragically claimed 23 lives in June, has been arrested following a court’s approval of a warrant late Wednesday. The CEO, Park Soon-kwan, is accused of violating industrial safety laws.
Park, who leads Aricell, a company majority-owned by S-Connect, expressed regret after the fire. However, the company insisted that all required safety procedures and employee training had been followed. The warrant for Park’s detention was approved by the Suwon District Court, which has jurisdiction over Hwaseong, where the factory is located, according to Yonhap news.
As Park entered the court for a hearing on Wednesday, he declined to answer reporters’ questions about the charges but was seen on television footage saying, “I’m sorry.”
A report released by authorities investigating the fire indicated that the incident was caused by a rush to meet a supply deadline and failure to address warning signs of dangerous quality defects in the batteries produced. The hiring of temporary workers who had not received proper safety and emergency escape training contributed to the high number of casualties, according to police and labor ministry officials.
