As of the morning of the 29th, 47 out of 647 systems restored
Recovery of 96 completely destroyed systems to take 2-3 weeks
Damage expected to increase for both citizens and businesses, not just public sector
A single fire has paralyzed the national computer system. Due to the fire that broke out at the Daejeon headquarters of the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) on September 26, 647 government work systems went down simultaneously. Of these, 96 systems that were completely destroyed by the fire are expected to take two to three weeks to be restored. The damage is expected to extend beyond public officials to ordinary citizens and businesses.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on September 29, as of 8:30 a.m. that day, 47 out of the 647 government work systems had been restored. Major systems that have been brought back online include Government24, the Post Office financial services, mobile ID (excluding issuance), the customized elderly care system, the 119 multimedia emergency reporting system, the integrated email system for public officials, and the state management system. The restoration rate stands at 7.3%.
On the 29th, a notice related to the ongoing damage such as the paralysis of the financial network due to a fire in the Data Center of the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) was posted at a commercial bank in Seoul. 2025.09.29 Photo by Yoon Dongju
The main concern is that, starting today after the weekend, there will be an increase in administrative service demand, which could lead to greater inconvenience for the public. It has been reported that key services such as the National Petition Portal, the National Law Information Center, and Onnara System-the internal work network for public officials-are among those affected.
In particular, with access to the work network blocked, public officials have been provided with response manuals for using linked systems and official email. The suspension of the National Petition Portal has also shut down the online objection submission window for consumer coupons. The nationwide cremation facility reservation service, known as the e-Haneul Funeral Information System, is also inaccessible, requiring individuals to apply directly to each crematorium online or by phone. The Personal Information Protection Commission website is also down, so reports of personal information breaches or leaks are being accepted via email.
Businesses are also expected to suffer increasing damage. The Nara Marketplace, which is used by procurement companies, central government agencies, local governments, and public institutions for all contracts from goods to construction and services, is down. All bids and orders scheduled from today have been halted, which is expected to disrupt contract work as well.
The 96 systems that were completely destroyed by fire have not even begun to be restored. Full recovery is expected to take nearly a month. All 96 were located in the data center that was destroyed, and even transferring them to the Daegu Center and simply restarting the systems will take two to three weeks.
Some have raised concerns about the government's policy of not disclosing the details of the 96 affected systems. The argument is that making this information public would allow relevant organizations to prepare in advance, especially since the situation has become a long-term issue. President Lee Jaemyung also instructed the authorities immediately after the incident to ensure "rapid recovery of government systems and transparent disclosure of the current status."
Yoon Hojung, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Interior and Safety), bowed his head in apology on this day, saying, "It is not easy to immediately restart the 96 systems," and added, "I deeply apologize for the great inconvenience this disruption has caused to the public."
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