▲ Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan moves to a waiting area after his warrant review in August 2024.
A four-year prison sentence has been finalized for Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan, who was indicted over the deadly Aricell factory fire that claimed 23 lives.
The Supreme Court's First Division (Presiding Justice Chun Dae-yup) upheld the lower court's ruling sentencing CEO Park to four years in prison on charges including violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
On June 24, 2024, a fire broke out at the Aricell factory in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, resulting in a disaster that left 23 workers dead and nine injured.
Park was previously arrested and indicted on charges of violating duties to secure safety and health, such as failing to inspect hazardous and risk factors and failing to establish guidelines in preparation for serious accidents.
The first trial court recognized Park as a business-owning responsible party 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 CEO's son who was co-indicted on charges including violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, was also sentenced to 15 years in prison.
It was the highest sentence handed down since the Serious Accidents Punishment Act took effect in 2022.
The appellate court also deemed Park the responsible business owner, but significantly reduced his sentence to four years in prison compared to the first trial.
General Manager Park's sentence was also reduced to seven years in prison.
Unlike the first trial, the appellate court ruled that Park had no obligation to install emergency exits and did not violate the obligation to maintain them, overturning those counts to not guilty.
The appellate court judged that there was an error in the first trial's ruling, which had only limitedly reflected the settlement with the victims' bereaved families in sentencing.
The Supreme Court stated that the appellate court's ruling was acceptable and dismissed all appeals filed by both the prosecution and the defendants.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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