Korean data center fire causes partial government network outage, "caused by batteries produced by LG Energy"
According to South Korean media such as Yonhap News Agency and Digital Daily, on the evening of September 26, a fire broke out at the National Intelligence Resource Management Agency (hereinafter referred to as "the Intelligence Resource Management Agency") located in Daejeon, causing the operation of 647 government business systems to be interrupted. The official has confirmed that the accident was caused by a lithium-ion battery catching fire, triggering controversy in the South Korean public opinion. Another industry insider revealed that the battery involved was produced by LG Energy Solution, a subsidiary of the LG Group.
This morning, Kim Min-jae, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Security and Safety, stated at a press conference that the fire occurred in the computer room of the Intelligence Resource Management Agency. At that time, the temperature and humidity control system had stopped operating, and due to the rise in temperature inside the computer room, it was feared that servers and other equipment might overheat, so the power supply of the servers and other equipment was actively cut off in advance.
It is understood that the National Intelligence Resource Management Agency belongs to the Ministry of Security and Safety, and has data centers in Daejeon, Gwangju, Daegu, and other places, with about 1,600 information systems providing government service. The 647 systems affected by this fire are all located in the Daejeon data center. Affected services include mobile identity verification systems, online government platforms, and other important areas of people's livelihood.
The official said that the cause of the fire was a lithium battery that caught fire during the process of moving the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery of the Intelligence Resource Management Agency to underground. Previously, it was reported that after the fire broke out, more than 100 staff members in the data center were quickly evacuated, but one staff member suffered burns on his face and arms.
At the end of the press conference, Kim Min-jae apologized, saying, "We deeply apologize for not meeting the expectations of the citizens and causing major inconvenience," and promised, "We will do our best to quickly repair the fault and ensure that the situation stabilizes as soon as possible." In addition, on the morning of September 27, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Myung-sun also apologized to the South Korean people for the disruption of multiple government services caused by the disaster. He said, "I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience caused by the service failure" and stated that he would restore the affected services as soon as possible.
Another industry insider revealed that the battery that caught fire was an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery produced by the Korean LG Group in 2012, with a service life exceeding 12 years, but the cause of the fire is still undetermined. Industry insiders said that although about 70 fire trucks and 70 firefighters were dispatched by the local fire department, the firefighting work faced great challenges due to the characteristics of lithium batteries.
The person explained that lithium battery fires are usually caused by thermal runaway. Once ignited, they often continue burning until the internal chemical reaction is completed. It is common for the fire to reignite after it appears to have been extinguished, so the firefighting time will inevitably be extended.
After the incident was exposed, public attention quickly shifted to the supplier of the battery, LG Company. Many voices questioned whether the fire was caused by a design defect in the battery. Some opinions suggest that the battery may have become unstable due to aging after long-term use, or that there may have been human error during the transportation process. An expert said, "It seems that this is an accident involving two factors: battery aging and negligence in safety management by the operators. However, before the cause is clearly determined, neither the manufacturer nor the operating institution can completely escape responsibility."
Notably, South Korean media pointed out that this incident is similar to the fire at SK C&C's Bundang Data Center in South Korea in 2022, which was also caused by a UPS lithium battery fire, leading to a paralysis of computing services.
This incident once again drew attention from various sectors in South Korea regarding the safety of lithium batteries. Experts pointed out that because lithium-ion batteries have high energy density, various factors such as overcharging, over-discharging, external impact, exposure to high-temperature environments, and manufacturing defects could potentially cause thermal runaway. Especially NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) batteries with high nickel content. With the continuous expansion of the application of lithium-ion batteries in data centers, public institutions, and other power infrastructure, if large-scale fires occur frequently, it may lead to a decline in demand for lithium batteries.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844384240564232/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.