Seoul: Prosecutors on Monday requested arrest warrants for eight current and former executives of domestic petrochemical companies suspected of engaging in price fixing involving several trillion won. The eight include Kim Yoo-shin, chief executive officer (CEO) of OCI, and Jang Young-soo, former CEO of PKC, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office.

According to Yonhap News Agency, prosecutors suspect that seven companies - LG Chem, Hanwha Solutions, Aekyung Chemical, OCI, Lotte Fine Chemical, PKC, and Unid - colluded for several years to raise prices for eight petrochemical products, including PVC, plasticizers, caustic soda, and hydrochloric acid. The companies are suspected of making illicit profits totaling several trillions of won by taking advantage of supply disruptions in naphtha caused by the Middle East conflict.

Prosecutors conducted simultaneous raids on the companies on Aug. 5, and subsequently questioned Kim and Jang as suspects on Thursday. PVC, primarily made from naphtha, is a synthetic plastic widely used in construction materials, pipes, and wire insulation, while plasticizers are chemical additives that make PVC softer and more flexible.