Seoul, Sep 28 (NationPress) The Interior Ministry of South Korea announced on Sunday that it has commenced the gradual restoration of the administrative computer network, which was severely impacted by a fire resulting from a battery explosion. The full recovery of the system is expected to require approximately two weeks.

The incident occurred at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, where a lithium-ion battery exploded in a computer room located on the fifth floor.

As of 7 a.m., more than 50 percent of the network devices at the center had been successfully restored, according to the ministry's updates.

Of the 767 critical security-related devices, an impressive 99 percent have resumed operations, the ministry reported.

To ensure the online services are functioning normally, the ministry plans to gradually activate 551 computer systems that were not directly affected by the fire, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

Out of a total of 647 government network systems at the center, 96 are believed to have been damaged in the recent fire, which includes essential services like the mobile identification system and online postal services.

An official from the Interior Ministry indicated that the government intranet, known as the Onnara System—vital for the public sector—is currently operational but offers only limited services, with key features still unavailable.

The government is making preparations to transfer the 96 damaged systems to a branch office in Daegu, with the full restoration process projected to take around two weeks.

The Finance Ministry has reported that its crucial platforms, such as the state financial information network and the government subsidies portal, have resumed operations.

Kim Kwang-yong, head of the Disaster Safety Management Headquarters, stated, "The government is diligently working to restore the administrative system quickly. We will transparently communicate the progress of the recovery efforts and the cause of the fire."

The Science Ministry confirmed that the financial services provided by Korea Post resumed operations as of 9 p.m. on Sunday, including debit card transactions, online banking, and ATM services.

However, the restoration of mailing services is still in progress, with operations expected to restart early Monday. Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon noted, "To fully normalize mailing and financial services of Korea Post, we will continue system updates and monitoring to assess the damage."

The fire service and police are set to conduct on-site investigations to determine the cause of the fire.

Officials mentioned that the explosion occurred in one of the center's uninterruptible power supply batteries while workers were disconnecting them from servers for relocation to the basement.

The fire was completely extinguished at 6 p.m. on Saturday, approximately 22 hours after it erupted, according to the authorities.