▲ Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan
A 4-year prison sentence has been finalized for Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan, who was indicted in connection with the fatal fire disaster at the Aricell plant that claimed 23 lives.
The Supreme Court's Division 1 (Presiding Justice Cheon Dae-yup) upheld the lower court's ruling sentencing CEO Park to four years in prison on charges including the violation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
The Aricell fire disaster occurred on June 24, 2024, when a fire broke out at the Aricell factory in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong, resulting in the deaths of 23 workers and injuries to nine others.
CEO Park was indicted and detained on charges of violating safety and health obligations, such as failing to inspect hazardous and risk factors and failing to prepare manuals in the event of a serious disaster.
The first trial ruled that CEO Park qualified as a management-responsible person subject to punishment under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, finding him guilty and sentencing him to 15 years in prison.
Park Joong-eon, Aricell's general manager and the son of CEO Park, who was indicted alongside him on charges including violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, was also sentenced to 15 years in prison.
This was the highest sentence handed down since the implementation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in 2022.
The second trial also deemed CEO Park a management-responsible person, but significantly reduced his sentence to four years in prison compared to the first trial.
General Manager Park also had his sentence reduced to 7 years in prison.
Unlike the first trial, the second trial overturned the ruling regarding emergency exits, concluding that CEO Park was not obligated to install emergency exits and did not violate the duty to maintain them, thereby acquitting him on that charge.
It also pointed out errors in the first trial's decision to reflect the agreement reached with the victims' bereaved families in a limited manner during sentencing.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals filed by both the defendants and the prosecution, stating that the second trial's ruling was acceptable.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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