South Korean CEO Arrested After Deadly Battery Fire

On August 28, court officials confirmed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Park, the CEO of Aricell, due to the grave nature of the charges against him and the company. A warrant was also issued for another Aricell executive, Park’s son.

Television footage showed Park entering the court in handcuffs, where he declined to answer reporters’ questions but expressed remorse, saying he was “sorry.” The following day, Park released a statement apologizing to the families of the victims and acknowledging his responsibility.

The tragedy occurred on June 24 when several battery cells exploded in a warehouse storing approximately 35,000 batteries. The fire claimed the lives of 23 workers, many of whom were Chinese nationals. Several others suffered severe burns and were hospitalized. At the time of the explosion, about 100 workers were inside the facility. Aricell, a South Korea-based company, manufactures lithium batteries for various devices, including sensors and communication equipment.

On August 23, investigators published a report highlighting several safety violations at the warehouse. The report revealed that workers were under pressure to meet a looming supply deadline. In April, Aricell failed a battery quality inspection, prompting the company to accelerate production to address the backlog.

To meet this demand, the company hired temporary and inexperienced workers, which led to a rise in defective batteries, some of which overheated after production. Despite these problems, Aricell did not resolve the safety concerns and continued to push for increased output.

The police report also noted that the high casualty count was partly due to the workers’ lack of emergency escape training, as many were untrained in emergency procedures.

Image source: The Independent