Daejeon: President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday issued an apology for the widespread disruptions caused by a fire at a state data center, which impacted services across multiple sectors. The incident highlighted the absence of an emergency system to restore operations after what he termed a foreseeable incident.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the fire erupted at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon on Friday, following a lithium-ion battery explosion, leading to significant disruptions in government online services and networks. President Lee expressed his regret during an emergency meeting, acknowledging the inconvenience and anxiety experienced by the public.

He emphasized the need for continuous efforts to restore critical public systems and resume operations to mitigate disruptions in essential services such as finance, goods delivery, and transportation. Lee critiqued the inadequate emergency restoration mechanism, noting that major network infrastructure remained non-operational days after the incident. He called for a comprehensive investigation into the matter, recalling a similar disruption two years ago and suggesting that insufficient preparation might have left key infrastructure vulnerable.

Lee stressed the importance of a robust security and safety framework for government networks and instructed officials to devise mid- and long-term strategies to prevent future occurrences. This includes establishing a "double-layer operating system" for state computer networks. He expressed surprise that such a critical network lacked a dual-operation system capable of immediate response to external damage.

Of the 647 online systems shut down by the government, 96 were directly affected by the fire. Efforts are underway to resume the operation of 551 systems unaffected by the blaze, with a focus on ensuring their functionality.