"Prioritized Profit Over Human Lives"… Prosecutors Seek 20-Year Prison Sentence for Arisel CEO
Prosecutors have sought a 20-year prison sentence for Park Soon-kwan, the CEO of Arisel, in connection with the Arisel fire disaster that claimed 23 lives.
This incident, recorded as the worst industrial disaster in South Korea's history, serves as a wake-up call regarding the company's structural safety negligence and indiscriminate outsourcing practices.
Prosecutors stated, "This case is the worst large-scale human casualty incident since the implementation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and the victims were essentially neglected, most of whom were undocumented migrant workers."
On the 23rd, the 14th Criminal Division of the Suwon District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Ko Kwon-hong, held a sentencing hearing for CEO Park Soon-kwan and made the aforementioned request regarding violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Dispatch Workers Act. A 15-year prison sentence was also sought for Park Jung-eon, Park's son and Arisel's general manager, on charges of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act and causing death due to professional negligence.
Prosecutors pointed out, "Park failed to establish a safety management system and focused solely on increasing production and profits by utilizing low-wage labor."
They emphasized, "Priority was given to profit over human lives, and even after the accident occurred, he was quick to make excuses and avoid responsibility instead of acknowledging his own culpability. There is a complete absence of basic ethical awareness expected from a business leader."
Regarding General Manager Park Jung-eon, prosecutors criticized him for ignoring his duties as the safety manager and shifting the blame to others after the incident. They asserted, "Migrant workers who dreamed of a new life in Korea faced tragedy within months of their arrival. This incident exemplifies the tragedy of neglecting human life through outsourcing labor, and business leaders must be held accountable accordingly."
A Tragedy that Claimed 23 Lives… Most Were Non-Regular Workers and Migrant Laborers
The incident occurred on June 24 of last year at around 10:30 AM due to a large fire at the Arisel factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The fire quickly engulfed the factory, resulting in the deaths of 23 workers and injuring 9 others.
Only 3 of the deceased were regular employees, while the remaining 20 were non-regular workers belonging to dispatch agencies. Out of these, 19 were migrant workers, one of whom was a naturalized South Korean citizen.
CEO Park has been arrested and indicted on charges of violating safety and health obligations but is currently out on bail and is being tried while not in detention. General Manager Park is also charged with violations of duties regarding fire safety management, heat detection, and failure to conduct fire drills.
The court, having concluded the sentencing hearing on that day, is expected to schedule a date for the verdict announcement in the future.
Image source: News1, News1, Hwaseong factory fire 'search for victims' / News1
