Subcontracting to unlicensed firms blamed for last year's data center fire: audit agency

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has revealed that unlicensed subcontractors were responsible for a data center fire that disabled South Korea's online government services last year. On September 26, the fire at the National Information Resources Service caused extensive damage to servers, disrupting key administrative systems nationwide.

It took 95 days to restore these services. The BAI audit revealed that the original contractor for the battery replacement project hired two unlicensed firms to complete the work without implementing necessary safety measures, such as turning off power to the battery rack. The data center was aware of outside personnel working on the project but failed to verify their licenses or government registrations.

Additionally, the center rejected a fire safety inspection request and declined to conduct inspections five months before the incident, citing security concerns. Despite the fire, the center did not take adequate steps to stop the blaze from spreading and even instructed firefighters to refrain from using water due to fears of damaging computer networks.

While the initial damage estimate was 59.7 billion won (US$44.4 million), the BAI determined the true cost amounted to 351.1 billion won, including societal impacts.