A meltdown gives a warning

Park Byung-ho
The author is a professor at KAIST College of Business.

KakaoTalk, the messenger platform nearly all South Koreans use, was disrupted over the weekend by a fire at its data center. The chat app as well financial services, navigation, and ridehailing services offered by the dominant mobile platform operator were destabilized, bringing a measure of chaos into many Koreans’ everyday lives. Individuals planning to get together for outings over the weekend were baffled by communication lapses. They were unable to open files or tokens saved on the Kakao app. Drivers were confounded when their navigation app stopped working. Passengers went back to their old way of hailing a ride on the street. KakaoBank users could not withdraw money from their accounts.

The platform operator explained that a backup system that should have automatically taken over after a fire disrupted its servers did not function well. Electronic systems must have back-up systems to minimize damage from systemic failure. But Kakao’s system had yet to fully normalize two days after the fire. Telecommunication companies must invest in emergency backups just like individuals buy insurance coverage against illness or accidents. They could have neglected their backup systems to save money. KakaoBank quickly normalized its online business because backups were compulsory for financial service providers.

Chat and other platform services do not have to have backup systems. But under the Telecommunications Business Act, value-added communications service providers like Kakao must inform users of guidelines and procedures in damage claims if system disruptions last for more than four hours. Prevention of breakdowns and other system problems and fast repairs are essential for ICT company’s viability and sustainability.

We should have earned two lessons from the latest mishap. One is the essential need for backups to prevent a system breakdown. As alternative transportation means are provided when a certain means comes to a stop, ICT should have various protections ready against system emergencies as well as ‘round-the-clock oversight. Kakao claims the breakdown lasted a long time due to complex and intricately connected data systems that cannot be “quickly turned back on.” If Kakao had multiple protections, all of its services would not have been destabilized for so long just because one data center suffered a fire.

KakaoTalk was disrupted for 20 minutes on Oct. 4, and yet the company had not looked deeply into service flaws. Kakao said it had a backup system, but it was unable to activate fully because a data center was completely ruined, which it didn’t anticipate. Its explanation underscores that it simply was not prepared.

Another lesson is the need for diversity in ITC services. Korea had been overly reliant on one chat system, KakaoTalk. Enterprises as well as government offices communicate through KakaoTalk. Many have no other communication option other than KakaoTalk. One TV broadcaster adds after a report that it welcomes news tips via KakaoTalk. The Ministry of ICT and Science installing disaster room for the system breakdown and the president calling for immediate action underscores the danger of heavy reliance on a certain dominant platform.

Information services are necessary for a country and its companies. There must be other communication means so that online communication stays seamless. Mixing of text and internet messaging can be one idea.

Fortunately, the meltdown occurred over a weekend and many services were normalized before the business week started. The ICT industry must pay more attention to emergency situations. The government, organizations, and companies must find lternative communication means so that their businesses are not affected by the breakdown of one system.