▲ This file photo shows Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan. (Yonhap)

appeals court-battery maker CEO

Appeals court cuts battery maker CEO's prison term to 4 yrs over deadly plant fire

SUWON, South Korea, April 22 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court on Wednesday reduced the prison sentence for lithium battery maker Aricell's chief executive officer (CEO) to four years over a deadly fire at the company's plant in 2024.

The Suwon High Court handed down the significantly reduced term to Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan from a 15-year sentence by a lower court in connection with the blaze in June 2024 that killed 23 workers and injured nine others.

In September, the Suwon District Court delivered the heavy punishment for Park, who had been indicted on multiple charges, including failing to secure workplace safety and violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The appeals court recognized the "grave" consequences of the fire, but it found insufficient grounds to determine that Park intended to evade liability under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The court also sentenced Park's son, a company general manager, to seven years in prison, reducing the lower court's 15-year sentence.

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act punishes owners or CEOs of companies with at least one year in prison or fines of up to 1 billion won (US$677,000) for fatal industrial accidents.

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