Fire at Data Centre Sparks Major Disruption to South Korean Government Services

A fire at a South Korean data center left 46 government services disrupted, according to Safety Minister Yun Hojung on Monday. Restoration efforts are underway following the blaze at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, affecting websites and digital public services across the nation.

Key services like the Government24 portal and Korea Post's financial and postal systems are recovering, Yun confirmed. The fire disrupted operations of the National Police Agency, Korea Customs, and the National Fire Agency. However, officials have not provided a full restoration timeline for 96 affected systems.

Investigators suspect a battery explosion from LG Energy Solution is to blame for the fire, which damaged servers and disrupted internet banking services. President Lee Jae Myung has called for significant improvements in system security to prevent future outages.

(With inputs from agencies.)