In a groundbreaking ruling, a South Korean court has sentenced the CEO of lithium-battery manufacturer Aricell, Park Soon-kwan, to 15 years in prison following a catastrophic fire at the company’s factory that killed 23 workers. His son, Park Joong-eon, also a senior executive, received the same sentence.
The Suwon District Court delivered the verdict on September 23, 2025, marking the harshest punishment ever issued under South Korea’s Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which was enacted in 2022 to make senior executives criminally liable for workplace fatalities.
The court found that Park Soon-kwan failed to put in place adequate safety measures, despite clear signs that the plant’s working conditions made a fire foreseeable. According to the judge, the disaster “was not an unpredictable misfortune, but a foreseeable man-made disaster.”
Investigations revealed serious lapses: emergency exits were poorly maintained, safety training was inadequate, and many of the victims were temporary workers who lacked proper evacuation instruction.
Prosecutors argued that Aricell had prioritized production goals over worker safety. In the lead-up to the fire, the company reportedly manipulated test samples and ramped up manufacturing even after failing quality inspections to meet tight delivery deadlines.
The court also rejected Park’s defence that he had no absolute operational control, finding instead that he received weekly reports from his son, who handled day-to-day operations, and issued major decisions himself.
Beyond Park and his son, other Aricell executives and contractors were also punished: a safety manager and managing director were sentenced to prison, while the company was fined 800 million won (~US$574,000).
The court’s judgment emphasized that lighter sentences for industrial accidents had failed as a deterrent, and that imposing “heavy criminal responsibility” on those in charge was crucial.
Victims’ families expressed relief and sorrow in equal measure. According to Korean media, some noted that while the sentence was strong, it still “amounted to less than one year per death,” given the scale of the tragedy.
South Korea’s President, Lee Jae-myung, backed the ruling, underscoring the need for better protection of workers. He pointed out that in the year prior, 589 people had died in job-related accidents, according to government statistics.
A Warning Ignored
The verdict sends a powerful signal to the battery industry not just in South Korea, but globally, about the importance of prioritizing safety over speed. As the demand for lithium batteries continues to surge, this case could reshape how companies balance rapid production with protecting their workforce.
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