SeAH Besteel, Where Four Workers Died... Prosecutors Seek Five-Year Prison Term for Former CEO

[Financial News, Gunsan—Kang In] Prosecutors have sought a prison sentence for SeAH Besteel's former CEO following a series of fatal accidents.
On the 29th, prosecutors sought a five-year prison sentence for Kim Cheol-hee, SeAH Besteel's former representative director, during the final hearing in his case for violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act at the Gunsan Branch of the Jeonju District Court.
They also asked the court to sentence former Gunsan plant manager A, who stood trial alongside Kim on charges of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act and causing death through occupational negligence, to three years in prison.
Under the joint penal provisions of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, prosecutors sought a fine of 550 million won for SeAH Besteel.
Three serious accidents occurred at SeAH Besteel's Gunsan plant in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, over the roughly two years after the Serious Accidents Punishment Act took effect in January 2022, leaving four workers dead.
Prosecutors are seeking to hold the management responsible for these incidents.
In his final statement, former CEO Kim said, "I pray for the souls of the workers who lost their lives in the accidents," adding, "I sincerely apologize to the bereaved families who have been living in sorrow and pain since the accidents."
His lawyer argued, "The defendants fully carried out their safety duties and did not order or neglect any work that posed a risk of accidents," adding, "Because there is no causal relationship between each accident at the workplace and the defendants' conduct, we ask the court to find them not guilty of the charges."


[email protected] Kang In Reporter