In June 2024, a fire at a factory run by Aricell, a South Korean lithium battery manufacturer, killed 23 workers from China, Laos and South Korea, including ethnic Koreans from China. Reuters says over half of the 103 workers at the factory, including some of those killed, were contract workers dispatched by a manpower company, including temporary workers. A later article says many of the workers from China were women.

An investigation has been launched into the incident. A New York Times article alleges the walls of the building where the fire occurred were built with plastic insulation that is vulnerable to fire and that combustible materials were kept near the exit door.

The CEO of the company apologised for the fire and said it had complied with all required safety precautions and training. He said the company "will be conscientiously taking part in the investigation by authorities and will do [its] best to determine the cause of the accident and to take measures to prevent a repeat of such an accident". A representative for Meicell, the labour supply company which provided workers to the factory, told journalists it does not instruct workers and cannot visit them on site - this is done by Aricell.

Following the incident, a New York Times article highlights how migrant workers in the country face particular risk of injury or death in workplace accidents in comparison to domestic workers. The article particularly highlights how ethnic Korean Chinese are “treated as second- or third- class citizens” in South Korea.

The article also notes that while South Korea is a major producer of lithium batteries, regulations largely focus on the environmental concerns of lithium instead of the safety hazards associated with it.

The parent company of Aricell, S-Connect, reportedly supplies lithium-ion battery parts to Samsung SDI which Reuters reports is "one of the country's major secondary battery makers". The Resource Centre invited Samsung SDI to respond to the allegations of safety violations at the Aricell factory in its supply chain, and to disclose what human rights due diligence it undertakes prior to entering into contracts with suppliers regarding labour and safety standards, and when monitoring working conditions at suppliers. We also invited it to outline what remediation efforts Samsung SDI has engaged with in light of the workers’ deaths. Samsung SDI's response can be read below.

In August, the New York Times reported that police said Aricell rushed production in the run up to the fire, including hiring temporary workers who were not adequately trained. The company was allegedly rushing to fulfil a contract with South Korea's military. Aricell declined to comment to the New York Times on the matter. Labour investigators also found that the plant had overdue wages for 321 workers, and there were 65 other violations in its facilities.

At the end of August, the BBC reported that the Chief Executive or Aricell, Park Soon-Kwan, had been arrested due to suspected workplace safety violations. S-Connect, Aricell's parent company, did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.