Battery CEO's 4-year sentence upheld over fire that killed 23, mostly foreigners

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Park Soon-kwan’s four-year prison sentence in Hwaseong over a factory fire that killed 23 workers. The court also upheld seven years for his son, Park Joong-un, and an 800 million won fine against Aricell. The fire on June 24, 2024, killed 17 Chinese nationals, one Lao national and five Koreans, while injuring nine others. The ruling found that Aricell failed to address the explosion risks of lithium battery manufacturing.

The fire began on the second floor of Building No. 3 as workers inspected and packaged finished batteries, which exploded and caused the blaze to spread rapidly.

Park Soon-kwan was convicted of failing to fulfill statutory safety duties, including checking workplace hazards and preparing a serious-accident response manual.

The Supreme Court upheld the finding that Aricell’s risk assessment rules did not adequately account for the specific explosion hazards of lithium manufacturing.

A district court initially sentenced Park Soon-kwan and Park Joong-un to 15 years each, but an appeals court reduced their sentences after overturning some charges and considering compensation settlements with bereaved families.

The appeals court acquitted Park Joong-un on charges concerning emergency exits and passageways after finding that regulations required an exit at the building level rather than on every floor.

Published Oct 20, 2026 2:24 pm KST

Bereaved family members of workers killed in the 2024 Aricell factory fire weep during a press conference outside the Supreme Court in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a four-year prison sentence for Park Soon-kwan, CEO of lithium battery maker Aricell, over a factory fire that killed 23 workers, mostly foreigners, more than two years ago.

The court dismissed appeals by prosecutors and the defendants, leaving intact an appellate ruling that sentenced Park's son, Park Joong-un, a senior executive at the company, to seven years in prison, along with a fine of 1 million won ($750). The court also upheld an 800 million won fine against Aricell.

The fire at the company’s factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on June 24, 2024, killed 17 Chinese nationals, one Lao national and five Koreans, and injured nine others.

The blaze began on the second floor of Building No. 3, where workers inspected and packaged finished batteries, and spread rapidly as batteries exploded.

The CEO was indicted on charges of failing to fulfill his statutory safety obligations, including checking for workplace hazards and preparing a manual for responding to serious accidents.

The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s ruling that the chief executive bore the duties and responsibilities imposed under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The top court also upheld the finding that Aricell’s risk assessment rules failed to adequately account for the specific hazards of manufacturing batteries using lithium, which poses an explosion risk.

A district court initially sentenced both the CEO and his son to 15 years in prison. But the appeals court cut their sentences to four and seven years, respectively, after overturning some charges and taking into account compensation settlements with bereaved families.

The son’s acquittal on charges related to emergency exits and passageways hinged on how the court interpreted workplace safety regulations.

Partitions and a temporary wall made of sandwich panels stood between the second-floor work area, where 21 of the 23 victims were found, and its exit. Some survivors were injured while jumping from windows to escape.

The district court found that the son had violated his obligations to install emergency exits and keep them readily accessible.

The appeals court, however, ruled that the relevant regulations imposed the installation requirement on a building-by-building basis, rather than on each floor. It found that an emergency exit on the first floor of Building No. 3, where hazardous materials including lithium were handled, was sufficient to meet the requirement.

It also found no clear legal basis defining emergency passageways or setting standards for their installation, and therefore no grounds to impose such an obligation.

The son’s conviction for professional negligence resulting in death and injury nevertheless stood based on other breaches of his duty of care.

韩国最高法院周二维持了朴顺宽因华城工厂火灾导致23名工人死亡而被判处的四年有期徒刑。法院同时维持了对其子朴重云的七年有期徒刑判决，并判处Aricell公司罚款8亿韩元。这场发生在2024年6月24日的火灾造成17名中国公民、1名老挝公民和5名韩国公民死亡，另有9人受伤。判决认定Aricell公司未能妥善处理锂电池生产过程中存在的爆炸风险。

火灾是从 3 号楼二楼开始的，当时工人们正在检查和包装成品电池，电池爆炸并导致火势迅速蔓延。

朴顺宽因未能履行法定安全职责而被定罪，其中包括检查工作场所危险和制定严重事故应对手册。

最高法院维持了原判，认为 Aricell 的风险评估规则没有充分考虑到锂制造过程中特有的爆炸危险。

地方法院最初判处朴顺宽和朴重云各 15 年有期徒刑，但上诉法院在推翻部分指控并考虑与死者家属达成赔偿协议后，减轻了他们的刑期。

上诉法院驳回了朴重云关于紧急出口和通道的指控，认为相关规定要求在建筑物层面设置出口，而不是在每一层都设置出口。

发布于2026年10月20日下午2:24（韩国标准时间）

周二，在首尔最高法院外举行的新闻发布会上，2024年阿里塞尔（Aricell）工厂火灾中遇难工人的家属们泣不成声。（韩联社）

最高法院周二维持了对锂电池制造商阿里塞尔首席执行官朴顺宽的四年监禁判决。两年前，阿里塞尔工厂发生火灾，造成 23 名工人死亡，其中大部分是外国人。

法院驳回了检方和被告的上诉，维持了原判，判处朴正熙之子、公司高管朴重云七年有期徒刑，并处罚金100万韩元（约合750美元）。法院还维持了对Aricell公司8亿韩元的罚款。

2024年6月24日，该公司位于京畿道华城市的工厂发生火灾，造成17名中国公民、1名老挝公民和5名韩国公民死亡，另有9人受伤。

火灾是从 3 号楼二楼开始的，当时工人们正在那里检查和包装成品电池，随着电池爆炸，火势迅速蔓延。

该首席执行官被指控未能履行其法定安全义务，包括检查工作场所危险和制定应对严重事故的手册。

最高法院维持了下级法院的裁决，即行政长官负有《严重事故处罚法》规定的职责和义务。

最高法院还维持了原判，即 Aricell 的风险评估规则未能充分考虑使用锂电池制造电池的特殊危险，而锂电池存在爆炸风险。

地方法院最初判处该首席执行官及其儿子15年监禁。但上诉法院推翻了部分指控，并考虑到与遇难者家属达成的赔偿协议，将他们的刑期分别减至4年和7年。

儿子因与紧急出口和通道相关的指控而被判无罪，这取决于法院如何解释工作场所安全法规。

在二楼工作区（23名遇难者中有21人在此被发现）和出口之间，设置了隔断和临时搭建的夹芯板墙。一些幸存者在跳窗逃生时受伤。

地区法院认定儿子违反了安装紧急出口并保持其易于通行的义务。

然而，上诉法院裁定，相关法规是逐栋建筑而非逐层规定安装要求。法院认为，3号楼一楼（该楼处理包括锂在内的危险材料）的紧急出口足以满足要求。

调查还发现，没有明确的法律依据来界定紧急通道或制定其安装标准，因此没有理由强加此类义务。

尽管儿子因职业过失导致他人死亡和受伤而被定罪，但基于他违反其他注意义务的行为，这一定罪仍然成立。