Two People Including Management Officer Arrested in Hwaseong Arisel Fire Case

Announcement by the Gyeonggi Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor

The Gyeonggi Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 28th that it has arrested two individuals, the management officer and the general director of the company involved, on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and the Act on the Protection of Dispatched Workers following an investigation into the Arisel factory fire that occurred in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province last June.

[Photo by Ministry of Employment and Labor]

The management officer of the company, Mr. G, is charged with violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and the Dispatched Workers Act. Mr. N, the general director of the company and son of Mr. G, faces charges of violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act and the Dispatched Workers Act.

Following the warrant hearing held at Suwon District Court the previous day, Mr. G was arrested on charges of neglecting the duty to ensure safety and health as a management officer by deploying unskilled dispatched workers to handle highly flammable materials, resulting in the deaths of 23 people. This is the first case since the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in 2022 where a CEO, as a management officer, has been arrested for violating this law.

Gang Un-gyeong, head of the Gyeonggi Branch, stated, "Neglecting worker safety to save time and costs resulted in a large-scale loss of 23 lives," and added, "We will continue to thoroughly investigate workplaces where serious accidents occur due to disregard for safety, in accordance with laws and principles."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.