Financial Services Commission Activates 'Emergency Response Team' Amid Government Network Paralysis

As a fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) has caused disruptions to the government’s computer network, the Financial Services Commission has organized an emergency response team and begun assessing the impact on each financial sector.

According to industry sources on the 27th, the incident has disrupted identity verification services in the financial sector, including mobile identification cards, resident registration card authenticity checks, and electronic document wallets. As a result, services such as opening non-face-to-face deposit and withdrawal accounts or issuing certificates using mobile identification or resident registration cards have been temporarily suspended.

However, other forms of identification, such as driver’s licenses or passports, can still be used normally. During the suspension period, identity verification must be carried out using these alternatives.

On the same day, emergency notices were posted simultaneously on banking mobile apps, stating, “Some services are not functioning smoothly due to a system inspection by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.” The notice explained that services would return to normal once the ministry’s inspection was complete.

Earlier, at around 8:15 p.m. on the 26th, a fire broke out at the NIRS, causing a complete shutdown of the government’s computer systems. The NIRS is the agency responsible for managing the government’s IT systems.

The Financial Services Commission established an “emergency response team” on the morning of the 27th in accordance with the government’s manual and began assessing the impact on each financial sector.

Fortunately, since it is the weekend, when financial service usage is lower, consumer damage is expected to be limited. However, the Financial Services Commission is preparing for the possibility that the disruption could extend into the workweek.

In particular, the fire is also believed to have affected the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) system. As of this morning, access to the FIU website was unavailable.