[Unofficial translation provided by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

"Aricell and Seokpo’s CEOs face ‘first and second arrests’ under serious accident charges… avoiding responsibility did not work”, 29 August 2024

Park Soon-kwan, CEO of the lithium battery manufacturer Aricell, was arrested on charges of violating the Serious Accident Punishment Act following a factory fire in June that resulted in 23 deaths. During the investigation, Park claimed that his son, not himself, was the managerial head. However, the court issued an arrest warrant, citing the seriousness of the charges. … This marks the first time since the Act’s enforcement over two years ago that a CEO has been arrested at the investigation stage…

… The Act has been interpreted to hold the 'representative director' responsible, but companies have often argued that lower-level managers were in charge to shield the actual ‘owner’ CEO from liability.

… Shortly after, the second arrest under the Act occurred. On 29 August, Daegu District Court issued an arrest warrant for Park Young-min, 64, CEO of Yeongpoong Seokpo Smelter. In December last year, an arsenic poisoning incident during a tank motor replacement at the Yeongpoong Seokpo Refinary in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, resulted in one death and injuries to three workers. [190]