'NIRS Fire' Causes System Disruptions at Customs, Procurement, and Forest Services... "Emergency Response Activated"

Due to the fire at the National Information Resources Service (hereinafter referred to as NIRS), disruptions have also occurred on the websites and service systems of agencies such as the Korea Customs Service, the Public Procurement Service, and the Korea Forest Service. Currently, each agency has activated emergency response systems to minimize damage.

According to the Korea Customs Service on September 27, services such as the agency's website and the FTA Portal have been unavailable since the fire at the NIRS the previous day. The FTA Portal is a separate website that compiles information related to Free Trade Agreements.

In response to the NIRS fire, the Korea Customs Service has established an emergency crisis response headquarters and activated an emergency response system. The agency is also preparing contingency plans in case the system disruption is prolonged.

An official from the Korea Customs Service stated, "We will do our best to restore normal operation of services such as the FTA Portal that have been affected," and added, "Currently, the Korea Customs Comprehensive Information System (UNI-PASS) is operating normally. For services experiencing partial disruptions, such as customs payments, we ask users to check the notices on the UNI-PASS website and follow the instructions provided."

The Public Procurement Service and the Korea Forest Service are also experiencing disruptions in some service functions due to the NIRS fire.

Currently, the Public Procurement Service's website and the Korea ON-line E-Procurement System (KONEPS) are inaccessible. Since September 26, the Public Procurement Service has been operating an emergency response system, inspecting the status of KONEPS systems and services, and working to develop countermeasures to ensure continuity of procurement work.

Baek Seungbo, Commissioner of the Public Procurement Service, said, "The Public Procurement Service is currently operating an emergency response system and making every effort to minimize disruptions to procurement work. We will promptly communicate any updates regarding the KONEPS system to the public and work closely with the NIRS to minimize inconvenience for users."

Some disruptions have also occurred in 19 public service systems operated by the Korea Forest Service, including "Supnadel-e," causing delays in service provision.

However, the Korea Forest Service has system servers located at the NIRS Gwangju Center (18 servers) and the Daegu Center (1 server), so the impact from the NIRS fire has been relatively limited.

Nevertheless, the Korea Forest Service explained that some disruptions have been identified in systems that require functional linkage with the Daejeon Center, such as Government24, and related notices have been posted on the respective websites. The agency is also strengthening inspections of detailed functions by system and information services for affiliated institutions.

Kim Inho, Commissioner of the Korea Forest Service, stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure that there are no disruptions to public services through thorough inspections and swift response."

Meanwhile, according to the Daejeon Fire Headquarters, the NIRS fire broke out at around 8:20 p.m. on September 26 in the computer room on the fifth floor of the main building located in Hwaam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The fire was reportedly caused by a lithium-ion battery explosion. It was extinguished after 9 hours and 50 minutes.