South Korea Restores Services After Data Center Fire

South Korea has restored 112 digital government services, accounting for 17.3% of operations, following a fire that broke out last week at the country’s main government data center in Daejeon, around 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

Interior Minister Yoon Hee-geun confirmed on Thursday that 112 out of 647 disrupted services are now back online. He pledged that the government will make every effort to accelerate the recovery during the extended Chuseok holiday, which begins Friday.

Speaking at a central disaster and safety meeting, Yoon acknowledged public frustration with the slow pace of recovery, saying the current restoration rate does not meet citizens’ expectations. 

He added that civilian experts and staff from research agencies have been deployed to the fire site to maximize resources and expedite the recovery.

Deputy Interior Minister Kim Min-jae said the focus is on replacing the uninterruptible power supply system at the data center and moving equipment from the server room where the fire began.

Police have also raided the state-run data center and three private companies as part of their investigation into the cause of the blaze.

The Daejeon data center plays a crucial role in South Korea’s digital infrastructure. It hosts key e-government services used daily by institutions and citizens, stores vast amounts of sensitive data including civil records, healthcare and education data, and supports national cybersecurity efforts by monitoring and responding to cyber threats.

Located in one of South Korea’s leading science and technology hubs, the Daejeon center is also a core part of the country’s digital transformation strategy, reinforcing its position as a global technological powerhouse.