Daejeon: The interior ministry has announced the gradual resumption of operations for the administrative computer network at the state data center in Daejeon, following a fire caused by a battery explosion that severely impacted the system.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the fire erupted at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon on Friday when a lithium-ion battery exploded in a computer room on the fifth floor. By 7 a.m., the government had successfully restored over 50 percent of the network devices at the center. Of the 767 key security-related devices, 99 percent had resumed functioning.

The ministry has stated its intention to progressively restore 551 computer systems that were not directly affected by the fire to verify normal operation of online services. Out of the total 647 government network systems housed at the center, 96 systems, including the mobile identification system and online postal service, were presumed damaged by the blaze. Among the affected services, 436 are public programs and 211 serve as intranet systems for government officials.

Kim Kwang-yong, chief of the Disaster Safety Management Headquarters, remarked, "The government is making efforts to swiftly restore the administrative system. We will disclose the progress in the recovery work and the cause of the fire in a transparent manner."

The fire service and police are set to conduct on-site inspections to ascertain the cause of the fire. Government officials reported that the explosion occurred in one of the center's uninterruptible power supply batteries during an effort to disconnect and relocate them to the basement. Authorities confirmed that the fire was fully extinguished by 6 p.m. Saturday, approximately 22 hours after it began.