Arrest warrants were dismissed for six executives and employees, including CEO Son Ju-hwan, for whom warrants were sought in connection with the Daejeon Safety Industry disaster in which 14 workers died and 60 were injured in a factory fire on Mar. 20.
On the 8th, Song Sun-yang, the Daejeon District Court's warrant-judging Director General, dismissed the arrest warrants for CEO Son, who is suspected of occupational negligence resulting in death and injury and violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and for five executives and employees suspected of destroying evidence. Director General Song cited as reasons for dismissal that "it is difficult to conclude there is a risk of flight or destruction of evidence in light of the fixed residences and the fact that a considerable portion of the evidence has been secured." Song added, "It is necessary to fully guarantee the suspect's right to defense, so at this time it is difficult to recognize the need and reasonableness of arrest."
Earlier, from the afternoon of the same day, a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (substantive warrant review) was conducted for the six people including CEO Son. Five other executives and employees, including the vice president, the second-largest shareholder of Safety Industry, also faced a pre-arrest suspect interrogation after arrest warrants were sought on charges including occupational negligence resulting in death and injury and destroying evidence.
The six people including CEO Son are suspected in connection with the fire that broke out at the Safety Industry factory in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, at about 1:17 p.m. on Mar. 20, of failing to properly manage safety, causing the deaths of 14 employees and injuring 60. A police investigation found that before the fire, the fire alarm receiver installed inside the factory had been shut off, stealing evacuation time, and that the factory's break facility, where many of the deceased were found, had been illegally expanded without a permit.
During investigations by police and labor authorities, it was also confirmed that some employees forged and altered documents and other evidence to make it appear as if obligations on the company side—such as implementing safety management—had been carried out even before this fire disaster, in an attempt to shield CEO Son from charges under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. However, it is uncertain whether CEO Son directly ordered the forgery or alteration of evidence to be submitted to investigators.
Police, who had initially booked eight people including CEO Son and executives and employees on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death and injury, additionally booked six Safety Industry executives and employees and an interior contractor on charges including violating the Fire-Fighting Facilities Act, violating the Framework Act on the Construction Industry, and destroying evidence, bringing the total number of suspects to 14.