Investigation into Fire Cause Intensifies... Battery Replacement, Operational Errors, and Budget Management All Under Review

Police Deploy Lithium Battery Investigators
Government to Review Overall Operational System
Political Blame Game Intensifies

An investigation has begun into the fire at the National Information Resources Service, which led to the paralysis of the government's computer network. The police have launched efforts to determine the cause, deploying investigators specializing in lithium batteries for forensic analysis. The government is also reviewing the management system to check for any operational flaws.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on September 30, the police launched a full-scale investigation the previous day, including a joint forensic inspection and questioning of those involved at the scene. In addition to the police, the fire department and the National Forensic Service have joined the joint inspection, starting the process of analyzing evidence such as the battery pack suspected to be the origin of the fire.

On the 27th, firefighters were coming and going at the National Information Resources Service in Yuseong District, Daejeon. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In particular, the police have summoned and questioned seven people from the company responsible for relocating the batteries, who were present in the server room at the time of the fire. Based on closed-circuit footage and materials from the joint inspection, the investigation will also look into why sparks occurred in the lithium-ion battery and the specific circumstances during the battery removal.

The management system is being reviewed by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. Since the lithium-ion battery has been identified as the likely cause of the fire, the review will examine why the recommendation to replace the battery supplier was ignored and whether the increased risk of fire due to battery aging was anticipated. It was reported that LG CNS, the supplier, inspected the National Information Resources Service facility in June last year and confirmed that the battery system was due for replacement in August 2024, recommending that the government and the National Information Resources Service replace the equipment. The government ignored this recommendation for over a year.

The authorities also plan to look into the details of the 4.935 billion won allocated by the government last year for the battery relocation at the Daejeon National Information Resources Service. This year, an additional 4.216 billion won was allocated for battery relocation. There are concerns that, despite not completing last year's battery relocation improvement project and receiving another budget this year, the fire was not prevented.

A direct investigation into those affiliated with the National Information Resources Service is also beginning. While the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated that there were 13 personnel on site at the time, there had been no investigation into these individuals until now. It was confirmed that the scope of the investigation includes not only the main and subcontractors responsible for the construction but also whether part-time workers were involved.

In the political sphere, blame is being exchanged over who is responsible for the paralysis of the national computer network caused by the fire. The ruling party claims, "This is a clear case of dereliction of duty by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration," while the opposition argues, "While the Lee Jae Myung administration is preoccupied with judicial destruction and legislative dictatorship, serious holes are being punched in public welfare." The presidential office has refrained from joining the fray. Kang Hoon Sik, Chief Presidential Secretary, stated the previous day, "The national computer system has not yet been fully restored," adding, "Rather than blaming the previous administration or shifting responsibility, we must resolve the issue and become a competent government that prevents such problems from occurring in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.