Labor and Employment Minister Lee Jung-sik said that authorities will soon summon and investigate the suspects responsible for the deadly fire at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Appearing on a KBS program on Sunday, the minister said that CEO Park Soon-kwan of Aricell, the battery manufacturer that operated the ill-fated plant, and other suspects will soon be summoned for questioning.

The deadly fire at the plant killed 23 workers and injured eight others last Monday.

Lee said that authorities are looking into the vast amount of materials to determine if the Aricell officials violated the Serious Accident Punishment Act and other laws and if the foreign workers were illegally hired, vowing severe punishment for those found to have violated laws.

The minister also reiterated calls for reviewing the current system of deciding the annual minimum wage, saying that the system has some aspects that undermine social integration. He stressed the need to sufficiently reflect the voices of youth, unorganized workers and small businesses in deciding the minimum wage.