Police investigating the cause of the Anjeon Gongeop factory fire in Daejeon that killed and injured 74 people have indicted five company officials on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death and injury.
The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency said Wednesday that it had designated five individuals, including CEO Son Ju-hwan, as suspects on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death and injury.
Son and the others are suspected of neglecting their duty to ensure safety within the factory, resulting in a massive casualty toll of 14 dead and 60 injured in the fire.
The five indicted include Son, two other executives, and team-level managers in charge of fire prevention and safety, police said.
Police also conducted a search and seizure operation the previous day on a construction company that carried out the illegal mezzanine construction of a so-called "2.5th floor," which has been identified as a factor that worsened the death toll.
Police seized personal mobile phones and work documents from the construction company's employees and are currently analyzing them. A total of 107 people, including Son, have been questioned by police in connection with the incident.
The fire broke out at approximately 1:17 p.m. on June 20 at Anjeon Gongeop, an auto parts factory located in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon.
According to the police investigation, the fire alarm sounded at the time but quickly shut off. Employees gave statements indicating that safety management had been routinely neglected, saying "the factory floor was so covered in oil that it was slippery" and "fire drills were conducted only as a formality on paper."