A significant fire erupted at South Korea’s National Information Resources Service (NIRS) facility in Daejeon on September 26, 2025, disrupting multiple government digital services. The incident, which began between 8:15 and 8:20 p.m., originated from a lithium-ion battery explosion in the uninterruptible power supply room during maintenance operations. The battery, manufactured by LG Energy Solution, triggered a thermal runaway event that generated extreme heat, initially preventing firefighters from implementing direct containment measures.
The fire affected 70 government IT systems, including 12 first-class and 58 second-class systems. Critical services impacted included mobile identification systems, which were part of South Korea’s nationwide digital ID initiative launched in March 2025, the national postal service, government legal databases, and ministerial email systems. As a protective measure, authorities shut down more than 600 servers and removed nearly 400 battery packs. The facility evacuation resulted in one minor injury, with no fatalities reported.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS), responsible for operating the national information system, manages integrated information systems for central administrative agencies, local governments, and public institutions. The disruption occurs during a critical period as South Korea continues expanding its digital government services, including the recent implementation of the I-PIN digital ID system for overseas citizens and the nationwide rollout of mobile resident registration cards.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok responded to the crisis by directing the NIS to prioritize fire containment efforts. “We must focus all available resources on containing this situation,” said Kim. Minister of Public Administration and Security Yun Ho-jung emphasized the need for rapid service restoration, calling for maximum resource mobilization to address the system failures. The incident highlights the vulnerabilities in South Korea’s digital infrastructure, coming just months after a major data breach at SK Telecom that affected 23 million customers.
The investigation into the precise cause of the battery explosion remains ongoing. LG Energy Solution has not provided comment during the active investigation phase. Recovery efforts continue as authorities work to restore affected government services, with particular emphasis on critical systems supporting the country’s digital identity infrastructure and essential public services.
Sources: Maeil Business Newspaper, The Economic Times, The Star, Central News
