"5th Floor of National Information Resources Service, Site of 'Fire,' Could Not Be Inspected by Fire Authorities Due to Security Restrictions"

Fire Agency: "Security Regulations Require Approval from Agency Head, but No Agreement Was Reached"

Rep. Cha Gyu-keun asking questions [Yonhap News file photo]

Although fire authorities conducted safety inspections at the Daejeon headquarters of the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) last year, it has been revealed that the 5th-floor computer room, where a fire recently occurred, was excluded from the inspection due to issues regarding access to restricted security zones.

Rep. Cha Gyu-keun of the Rebuilding Korea Party disclosed this information on the 30th, based on data titled 'Fire Safety Inspection Records and Results for NIRS Over the Past 5 Years,' which he received from the National Fire Agency.

According to the data, the fire authorities were unable to inspect security zones such as the computer rooms located on floors 2 through 5 of the Daejeon headquarters during last year's fire safety inspection.

The National Fire Agency explained, "The facility is classified as a 'Class A National Important Facility,' and security regulations require approval from the head of the management agency for entry." They added, "When the local fire station provided advance notice of the fire safety survey, no mutual agreement was reached (with the head of the agency) regarding access to the security zones, so the investigation was limited to common areas (the 1st floor), excluding floors 2 through 5."

However, Rep. Cha noted that all floors were inspected at the Gwangju, Daegu, and Gongju centers, excluding the Daejeon headquarters.

He stated, "The fire occurred on the 5th floor, which was not subject to the fire safety survey," adding, "The NIRS cannot escape responsibility for this incident." Yonhap News