The suspicion of illegal dispatch of foreigners, comprising the majority of the victims in the Hwaseong Aricell Factory fire accident, has been raised.
According to the police and fire authorities on the 26th, the number of fatalities from the fire at the Aricell factory, a lithium battery manufacturer in the Jeongok Industrial Complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, totals 23. The breakdown by nationality is as follows: 5 Koreans, 17 Chinese, and 1 Laotian.
These 18 individuals include 11 with Overseas Korean (F-4) visas, 4 with Working Visit (H-2) visas, 2 with Marriage Immigration (F-6) visas, and 1 with a Permanent Resident (F5) visa, all of whom are legal residents.
Under the Foreign Workers Employment Act and related regulations, employers must obtain a Special Employment Permission Certificate from the Ministry of Employment and Labor to hire migrant workers with Working Visit visas. It has been determined that Aricell failed to submit this certificate to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Allegations of conflicting claims have emerged between Aricell, the principal employer, and Maycell, the subcontracting labor supplier, regarding illegal dispatch issues.
Park Soon Kwan, CEO of Aricell, stated to reporters on the afternoon of the 25th at the Aricell factory site, “There was no illegal dispatch.” Park Jung On, Head of Aricell Headquarters, similarly responded to reporters’ questions, stating, “The work instructions were given by the dispatch company.”
Under current law, a main contractor not in the dispatch-permitted industry cannot give work instructions to employees of subcontractors or cooperating companies.
Meanwhile, Maycell claimed, “We only provided labor. Despite committing illegal dispatch, Aricell is providing a false response,” adding, “They are shifting the responsibility for the fire accident onto us. We will gather relevant evidence and submit it to the police.”
The police have announced an intense investigation, indicating that they will prioritize criminal charges against those responsible for the accident. They shared that they will first impose travel bans rather than conduct searches and seizures as part of the investigation process.
Furthermore, with President Yoon Suk Yeol’s on-site visit and efforts by Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City to establish a cooperation system with government ministries, it is anticipated that the police searches and seizures will also be conducted promptly within this week. The timing of the searches and seizures has not been disclosed as of now.
The police have sent 23 bodies, including those whose identities have been confirmed, to the National Forensic Service for autopsy to determine identities, cause of death, and other details.