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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] SEOUL, July 7 — Authorities are ramping up the investigation into a fatal workplace accident at the SPC Samlip factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, by summoning factory officials and analyzing confiscated evidence.
According to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, seven individuals, including the plant’s center manager and safety officers, have been formally summoned as suspects on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death. Police sent written summonses on July 2, requiring them to appear for questioning by July 15.
Failure to comply with the summons may result in further legal action, including the execution of arrest warrants if the individuals ignore three requests to appear. The move is seen by some observers as part of efforts to secure the suspects' custody should they remain uncooperative.
The police had previously conducted a raid on SPC Samlip’s headquarters and the Siheung factory on June 17, seizing 463 physical and document items and 1,394 pages of digital data, which are currently under analysis.
While SPC Samlip has publicly claimed it is cooperating fully with the investigation, questions have been raised about whether the company has delayed cooperation under the pretext of exercising its legal rights. A police spokesperson stated, “We’ve been trying to coordinate their appearance through their legal counsel, but progress was slow, so we proceeded with a formal written request.”
The investigation follows a tragic incident that occurred around 3 a.m. on May 19, when a woman in her 50s was fatally injured while applying lubricant to a production machine at SPC Samlip’s cream bread line. The National Forensic Service later reported that the machine’s auto-lubrication system was malfunctioning and that harmful substances had been detected in the lubricant used at the scene.
The police are continuing to examine the findings and have not ruled out additional legal actions depending on the outcome of the analysis.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
