Datacenter fire impacts daily services all over Korea
Published: 28 Sep. 2025, 19:22
Updated: 28 Sep. 2025, 20:03
![A notice about service disruptions is posted on an ATM at a post office in Seoul on Sept. 28, following a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency's data center in Daejeon that affected postal and financial services. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/28/e805077a-86da-468b-b17a-46e7f438a590.jpg)
A notice about service disruptions is posted on an ATM at a post office in Seoul on Sept. 28, following a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency's data center in Daejeon that affected postal and financial services. [YONHAP]
Three days after a fire broke out at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) in Daejeon, disruptions to everyday services continue to cause inconveniences for people all across the country.
The blaze last Friday paralyzed several parts of the government's national computing network, temporarily suspending numerous services closely tied to daily life such as mobile ID verification, post office banking and mailing services and online real estate transactions.
A total of 647 government systems hosted at the NIRS’ Daejeon headquarters went offline due to the fire, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Sunday.
Of those, 436 are systems accessed by the general public over the internet, while 211 are part of the government’s internal network. The government said it plans to first restore 551 systems that were not directly damaged by the fire, excluding 96 systems that sustained direct damage.
The suspension of these high-impact public services continues to disrupt daily life. Among the most prominent examples is Government 24, the portal used for issuing official documents online.
![A notice announcing service suspension is displayed on a kiosk at a subway station in Jung District, central Seoul, on Sept. 28, after a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency's data center in Daejeon disabled multiple government systems. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/28/6b922b00-f3cc-4774-97ac-29d6cf5171d2.jpg)
A notice announcing service suspension is displayed on a kiosk at a subway station in Jung District, central Seoul, on Sept. 28, after a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency's data center in Daejeon disabled multiple government systems. [YONHAP]
Joo, a 53-year-old resident of Seoul, had to board a return flight alone from Busan on Sunday morning, leaving behind his wife and daughter.
“We forgot our physical IDs and tried to use mobile verification, but we couldn’t connect,” he said. “I had an urgent matter at work, so I had no choice but to return alone.” His family also tried to use a self-service kiosk at the airport but found it inoperable.
The inability to use mobile ID services has also caused issues at hospitals.
Mobile banking at commercial banks has been affected as well, especially at banks that rely on resident registration cards or mobile IDs for identity verification. Major banks such as NH NongHyup Bank now accept only substitute IDs like driver’s licenses or passports.
![A screen on a public service kiosk at a subway station in Jung District, central Seoul, shows a service suspension message on Sept. 28, after a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency's data center in Daejeon paralyzed government systems. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/28/82f0bc8a-a8d4-431c-9691-72643923100c.jpg)
A screen on a public service kiosk at a subway station in Jung District, central Seoul, shows a service suspension message on Sept. 28, after a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency's data center in Daejeon paralyzed government systems. [YONHAP]
KB Kookmin Bank halted all transfer-related transactions for customers who had enabled its “foreign IP blocking” service. The bank used to verify IP addresses in real time through the public data portal of the Korea internet & Security Agency (KISA), but system errors have made that impossible, prompting a complete suspension of transactions. Users have voiced their frustration.
With Korea Post’s services fully suspended, concerns are mounting among citizens over disruptions to financial services — including deposits, transfers and bill payments — as well as parcel delivery and mail services. Park, 29, who runs a bakery cafe in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, said, “I shipped a large number of Chuseok gift sets via Korea Post on Friday, but I’m worried they won’t arrive on time. Some of them might go bad after the expiry date."
Online reservations for cremation facilities have also been disrupted, as the e-Haneul funeral information system remains inaccessible.
![Members of a joint inspection team made up of police, firefighters and officials from the National Forensic Service enter the National Computing and Information Agency in Yuseong District, Daejeon, on the morning of Sept. 28. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/28/c3ecab21-ba00-468f-9ce5-c97846795e4b.jpg)
Members of a joint inspection team made up of police, firefighters and officials from the National Forensic Service enter the National Computing and Information Agency in Yuseong District, Daejeon, on the morning of Sept. 28. [YONHAP]
Although government ministries have shifted into emergency mode, clear countermeasures are still lacking. The “On-Nara System,” used for document drafting and approval among public officials, is reportedly partially down. As the government’s internal network remains compromised, even the National Assembly’s request for audit materials is being delayed.
The Public Procurement Service (PPS) also reported Sunday that access to the national procurement system, known as Nara Marketplace, is unavailable. As of 2024, Korea’s public procurement market totaled 225.1 trillion won ($160.7 billion) in volume, with Nara Marketplace accounting for 145.1 trillion won, or 64.5 percent.
“While contract work doesn’t typically take place over the weekend, we expect disruptions starting Monday,” a PPS official said.
![A notice about suspended services is posted on a public document kiosk at Jeju International Airport on Sept. 28, following a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/28/2a275de6-029e-40bf-9306-e65874c32811.jpg)
A notice about suspended services is posted on a public document kiosk at Jeju International Airport on Sept. 28, following a fire at the National Computing and Information Agency. [YONHAP]
Real estate transactions have been affected as well. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Sunday that its integrated property management system is experiencing errors, making it impossible to file property transactions or lease contracts online over the weekend.
Citizens needing to file such documents must visit their local government offices in person starting Monday at 9 a.m. “We had to push all major contracts to next week,” said a realtor in Paldal District, Suwon. “Is it really okay for the entire administrative system to stop because of one fire?”
Public safety systems are also feeling the effects. A partial failure in the 119 emergency response system has suspended the location-tracking service used to pinpoint callers. In response, police are using the 112 system to determine caller locations and are then sharing them with fire authorities.
![Firefighters douse lithium-ion batteries in water while extinguishing a fire at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, on Sept. 27. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/28/d46e7816-512a-4c55-ae46-45c658433146.jpg)
Firefighters douse lithium-ion batteries in water while extinguishing a fire at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, on Sept. 27. [YONHAP]
Other law enforcement services, such as the The Office of Criminal Justice Information System, are likewise experiencing issues. Services for identity verification, account registration and notifications have been suddenly suspended, leading to repeated complaints.
Additionally, some airports are experiencing problems with inbound traveler screenings. Several internal systems operated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, including the Integrated Disease and Health Management System and the Quarantine Information System, are down. As a result, authorities are relying solely on handwritten health questionnaires.
Even the communication channels used to announce critical updates are malfunctioning. The e-Briefing system operated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently inaccessible, forcing the government’s fire-related briefing to be livestreamed via the KTV YouTube channel.
Officials expect restoration of the suspended systems to take considerable time. A member of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee who visited the fire site on Sunday said, “Restoring these services, including migrating and reinstalling the systems, will likely take quite a while.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JEONG-JAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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