Investigation into Causes of National Information Resources Service Fire Begins in Earnest… Police Launch Dedicated Investigation Team

Joint Inspection with NFS and Fire Authorities… Investigating Potential Management Failures or Procedural Negligence

Joint inspection of the National Information Resources Service fire (Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Hyun-woo = On the 28th, officials from the fire department, police, and the National Forensic Service are moving to the scene of the fire at the National Information Resources Service in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, for a joint inspection.

On the 26th, a fire involving lithium-ion batteries for an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) occurred at the National Information Resources Service, which houses government computer systems, leading to a large-scale disruption of government computing services. 2025.9.28 nowwego@yna.co.kr

The police have officially launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire at the National Information Resources Service (hereinafter referred to as NIRS), which led to a widespread failure of government computer networks.

On the 28th, the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a joint inspection at the NIRS in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, along with fire authorities and the National Forensic Service (NFS).

The police continued the inspection for the second day, following the fire department’s declaration of initial containment the previous day.

Kang Jae-seok, Chief of the Scientific Investigation Division, explained, "We promptly secured evidence during yesterday's on-site inspection and have submitted it for analysis. Today, we plan to conduct a comprehensive joint inspection to identify the exact cause of the fire."

The police secured some facility components the previous day for analysis. The batteries, which were moved out of the computer room and submerged in water tanks, are scheduled to be sent to the NFS for forensic examination after a stabilization period of two to three days to discharge residual electricity.

The inspection, which began this morning, is continuing into the afternoon. The police stated that they are focusing their examination on the area where the fire is presumed to have started.

They added that there is a possibility that further inspections may take place tomorrow morning.

The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency has formed a dedicated investigation team of 20 members, led by Chief Detective Kim Yong-il.

Lithium-ion batteries damaged by the NIRS fire (Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Hyun-woo = On the 28th, lithium-ion batteries damaged by the fire at the National Information Resources Service in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, are submerged in a water tank.

On the 26th, a fire involving lithium-ion batteries for an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) occurred at the National Information Resources Service, which houses government computer systems, leading to a large-scale disruption of government computing services. 2025.9.28 nowwego@yna.co.kr

The dedicated investigation team is focusing its efforts on determining the cause of the explosion of the lithium-ion batteries used for the UPS.

The team plans to question management and other relevant personnel regarding potential issues in battery maintenance or a failure to implement safety protocols.

Thus far, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and NIRS officials have explained that the incident occurred while 13 workers were moving UPS batteries—which were located in the 5th-floor computer room along with servers—down to the basement. According to their account, the fire broke out in one of the batteries after the power had been cut.

While some speculate that the age of the batteries was the cause of the fire, suspicions have also been raised about potential procedural errors made during the relocation process.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the UPS batteries that caught fire were supplied and put into service at NIRS in August 2014. They had exceeded the manufacturer's recommended usage life of 10 years by approximately one year.

In response, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety clarified, "We receive regular inspections from the maintenance company that supplies the batteries, and no issues were discovered during those inspections."

Some in the industry argue that the process should have involved cutting the power before disconnecting the wires, and suggest that a short circuit may have occurred if the wires were disconnected while the power was still active.

Some have also raised the opinion that the management practices of KT, which is responsible for facility maintenance, should be closely scrutinized.

However, the NIRS explained in an on-site briefing the previous day that "the spark occurred 40 minutes after the power was cut."

A police official stated, "As the top priority is the restoration of government services, we will determine the circumstances and the cause of the fire through detailed inspections while monitoring the progress of the recovery." Yonhap News

NFS official examining burnt batteries (Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Hyun-woo = On the 28th, an official from the National Forensic Service examines batteries submerged in a water tank at the scene of the fire at the National Information Resources Service in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

On the 26th, a fire involving lithium-ion batteries for an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) occurred at the National Information Resources Service, which houses government computer systems, leading to a large-scale disruption of government computing services. 2025.9.28 nowwego@yna.co.kr