Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan has been arrested for alleged violations of the industrial safety law.
The head of a South Korean lithium battery maker has been arrested on suspicion of violating industrial safety laws following a factory fire that killed 23 people.
The Suwon District Court approved an arrest warrant for Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan for his role in the June fire late on Wednesday, a court spokesman said.
The court also issued an arrest warrant for Park's son, who is an executive at Aricell, the spokesman said.
South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor said Park had been arrested on charges of “causing the deaths of 23 people” by employing unskilled contract workers to handle materials that posed a serious fire risk.
Park's arrest marks the first time a company director has been held liable under legislation introduced in 2022 to penalise management for industrial accidents.
The Major Disaster Punishment Act provides for penalties of one year in prison or 1 billion won ($835,000) in fines for business owners and managers for accidents that cause death or serious injury.
Police said last week that the fire at the factory in Hwaseong, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Seoul, occurred as the company was rushing to meet a deadline without taking steps to address signs of serious quality shortcomings.
South Korea has a long history of fatal incidents blamed on companies cutting costs.
In 2014, 476 people, including 325 high school students, died when the Sewol ferry capsized following modifications to the ship to increase its carrying capacity.
In 1995, more than 500 people died after the collapse of the Sampoong department store, which later investigations showed had been built without sufficient support columns.
