South Korea Restores Majority Government Systems After Data Centre Fire

A major fire at South Korea's National Information Resources Service data center in Daejeon, caused by a lithium-ion battery explosion during maintenance, has severely disrupted government online services and internal networks. The blaze forced the shutdown of 647 online systems, including critical services such as the mobile ID system, online postal services, emergency rescue location tracking, and government email and intranet platforms. Authorities managed to extinguish the fire after nearly 22 hours and have restored 99% of key security equipment and at least half of the network facilities, with plans to resume operations for 551 of the affected systems soon. The fire caused temperature and humidity control failures in the data center, leading to a preemptive shutdown to protect servers and data, while repair efforts continue. Government officials have apologized for the public inconvenience, including delays in civil applications, certificate issuance, and financial transactions, and have postponed upcoming tax payment deadlines. An investigation into the cause of the battery explosion is ongoing, as the government races to normalize vital services linked to citizens' daily lives and the economy.