The chief executive of Aricell, a South Korean lithium battery company, has been arrested in connection with a massive factory fire that resulted in the tragic deaths of 23 people and left nine others injured. Park Soon-kwan’s arrest was approved by a court on Wednesday, following an investigation that revealed workplace safety violations within the company.
Investigators found that the factory had been rushing to meet production deadlines, leading to a number of safety issues including quality defects in batteries and the hiring of unskilled staff to handle dangerous materials. It was also alleged that Aricell had been cheating in quality inspections related to contracts with the military.
The fire, which broke out on June 24th after several battery cells exploded, took several hours to extinguish as firefighters had to use dry sand to control the intense lithium fire. The victims of the fire were mostly foreign workers from countries such as China and Laos.
In a statement issued after the fire, Mr. Park expressed deep sorrow for the loss of life and extended condolences to the families of the victims. He also pledged to provide support to the deceased and their families in every way possible.
Aricell’s parent company, S-Connect, has not yet responded to requests for comment on the situation. South Korea is a major producer of lithium batteries, which are used in a wide range of products from electric cars to laptops. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of workplace safety and the consequences of cutting corners in production processes.
