Four Weeks Expected for Migration of Destroyed Systems to Daegu
Includes e-People Petition System and National Law Information Center
"Working to Expedite the Schedule as Much as Possible"
Of the 647 systems affected by the fire at the National Information Resources Service, 73 systems have been restored. It is expected to take about four weeks to transfer 96 systems that were directly damaged in the data center fire to the Daegu Center. Among these are systems frequently used by the public, such as the e-People petition system and the National Law Information Center. The government has informed the public that while internet access is currently limited, administrative services can still be accessed through alternative methods such as in-person visits or postal mail.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on September 29, as of 4:00 p.m., 73 out of 647 systems have been restored. The latest systems to be restored include 11 services such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Bokjiro and the Social Security Information Portal. Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, high-demand services such as postal, financial services, and issuance of resident registration certificates through Government24, which are frequently used by the public, were given priority for restoration.
Earlier in a briefing at the Government Complex Sejong, Vice Minister Kim Minjae of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated, "It is expected to take about two weeks to prepare information resources and another two weeks to set up the 96 systems for migration to the Daegu Center." He added, "We aim to expedite the schedule as much as possible with the cooperation of companies based at the Daegu Center." He continued, "We are restarting systems in data centers 1 to 6, which were less affected by the fire, and plan to restart the fifth-floor data center after cleaning up dust. Since information systems such as servers are vulnerable to static electricity and water, specialized companies are handling the work, which is expected to take about one to two weeks."
Vice Minister Kim explained that for the 96 systems expected to experience prolonged disruptions, alternative methods are being secured to minimize public inconvenience. He said, "For civil complaint systems such as the e-People petition system and the Integrated Veterans Affairs system, offline alternatives such as in-person or postal submissions are being operated, and for the National Law Information Center, alternative websites are being provided." For example, instead of searching for laws on the National Law Information Center, users can check the National Assembly legislation website.
Regarding reports that "an unqualified company was involved in battery transport," he clarified, "Upon verification, this is not true." Vice Minister Kim explained, "The fire broke out during preparations to move the battery, and the worker involved was a qualified technician and also the person injured in the fire." Lee Jaeyong, Director of the National Information Resources Service, added, "A government supervisor confirmed the work crew, but we will check whether the supervisor was actually present at the moment of the incident."
Regarding the incomplete implementation of data center redundancy measures, he cited budgetary and other issues. Lee Yongseok, Director General for Digital Government Innovation at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "After similar issues occurred in the private sector, the government commissioned a research study to develop a model, and based on this, a pilot project is underway for the National Information Resources work management system. It was decided that it would be better to invest after finalizing the model, rather than risk additional costs by investing in the wrong direction." Approximately 1 trillion won was invested in establishing the Gwangju Center for National Information Resources.
Regarding the continued use of batteries that had exceeded their recommended lifespan of 10 years, Director Lee said, "Other batteries had not yet reached the end of their lifespan, and we assessed that they could be used for another one to two years. However, this incident has taught us that all battery products should be used strictly within the recommended period, regardless of whether any issues are detected."
System Recovery Timeline... Extension of Document Submission Deadlines and Fee Waivers
Taking into account the time needed for system recovery, the government has decided to extend deadlines for various tax payments and document submissions, including the September property tax payment deadline. All fees previously incurred when issuing documents offline have also been fully waived.
In addition, the government is providing consultations on inconveniences and explaining alternative methods through the 110 Government Call Center and the 120 Civil Complaints Call Center, while also providing real-time information on alternative services available through major portals such as Naver and Daum. Furthermore, each agency has set up a "dedicated civil complaint support team" to respond quickly to special situations arising from this disruption and to develop solutions promptly.
Vice Minister Kim stated, "Each central administrative agency and local government is implementing alternative administrative procedures, such as manual processing, to ensure that the public does not experience inconvenience in accessing services. We will also strive to address media inquiries transparently and work to prevent cybercrimes that may exploit the current situation."
The government has also issued warnings about online scams such as smishing that exploit notifications related to the disruption, and has strengthened monitoring in cooperation with the National Police Agency and other relevant agencies. Vice Minister Kim reiterated, "We once again sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to the public by this disruption. We will do our utmost to restore services quickly and ensure the situation stabilizes."
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