[News Today] ‘ACCIDENTS PUNISHMENT ACT’ ARRESTS

[LEAD]
Two years into the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, a company head has been detained for the first time during the investigation phase. This includes the CEO of Aricell, linked to dozens of casualties, and the head of Young Poong's Seokpo smelting plant, with four casualties. Pundits say courts are now imposing tougher penalties for 'repeated accidents' due to neglected safety measures.

[REPORT]
Park Soon-kwan, CEO of lithium battery maker Aricell, and Park Young-min, CEO of metal company Young Poong's Seokpo smelting plant underwent arrest warrant deliberations on the same day.

They face charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act following the death of workers due to insufficient safety measures.

Park Soon-kwan/ CEO of Aricell
(Is it true that safety training was not properly held?)...

Park Young-min / CEO of Young Poong's Seokpo smelter
(Do you acknowledge the charges?)...

Warrants were issued for both chief executives as the court viewed the charges as serious.

The two cases mark the first and second arrests of chief executives during the investigative stage since the Serious Accidents Punishment Act was implemented in 2022.

Of the 21 cases that received sentencing under the act since, prison term was handed in just 3 cases while most others saw fines or a suspended sentence.

However from this year, the degree of punishment appears to be strengthening with the largest fine to date of some 2 billion won (USD 1.5 million) imposed.

These cases include those involving repeated safety violations, lingering risk of the same type of accident recurring and the actual recurrence of similar disasters in a short period of time.

The key notion here is the repetitive nature of the offense.

Son Ik-chan/ Lawyer
Prison terms were likely handed for establishments where lives were lost also in the past not due to coincidence but due to system failures.

However, the Supreme Court has yet to set sentencing guidelines regarding the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

Attention is drawn to how the court will rule on the deadly Aricell factory fire, being the largest human casualty incident since the law's implementation.

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