Daejeon: Major government online services and networks remained offline following a fire at the central state data center caused by a battery explosion, with the time for recovery still unclear. The fire broke out at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon after a lithium-ion battery exploded in a computer room on the fifth floor.
According to Yonhap News Agency, officials reported that the explosion occurred in one of the center's uninterruptible power supply batteries while workers were disconnecting them from the servers to relocate them to the basement. The fire left 647 online government services and systems down, including the mobile identification system and online postal service.
Vice Interior Minister Kim Min-jae stated that operations were suspended as a "preemptive" measure to protect the systems after the fire caused temperature and humidity control malfunctions. "The temperature and humidity control equipment is currently being repaired. Once this is complete, the government plans to bring the servers back online to restore the services," Kim said at a press conference, emphasizing that critical services like postal and financial services will be prioritized.
The disruptions affected essential functions, including the location-tracking of the 119 emergency rescue service, the online official document issuance service, and the pan-government intranet, Onnara System. Websites of major government bodies, such as the office of the prime minister and the interior and finance ministries, were also impacted.
Citizens experienced significant inconveniences due to the service disruptions. A 53-year-old, surnamed Lee, attempted to make a payment with a debit card issued by Korea Post but was unsuccessful. The money transfer service on Korea Post financial accounts was also unavailable. Additionally, those with discounted tickets for transportation services had to carry identification cards to use buses, trains, and airplanes.
Vice Minister Kim announced that impending tax payment deadlines and official document submissions would be postponed to prevent any damage from the disruptions. He advised citizens to visit government offices in person or use alternative websites provided by the government.
Nearly 10 hours after the fire started, the main blaze was under control, but it partly reignited later. Firefighters, numbering around 200, were working to ventilate the building, facing challenges due to heavy smoke and concerns about reignition. One worker sustained first-degree burns, and almost 400 lithium-ion battery packs were destroyed.
Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung elevated the crisis management level for government information systems from "alert" to "serious." Prime Minister Kim Min-seok apologized for the service disruptions and committed to restoring the affected services.
Jung Chung-rae of the ruling Democratic Party directed officials to support government efforts to address the disruptions. The main opposition People Power Party criticized the incident as a "man-made disaster" and demanded a thorough investigation.
Industry sources suggested that data loss is unlikely due to the center's robust backup systems. Firefighters plan to submerge the batteries in water once conditions allow to safely remove them from the building.