Home > Opinion > Columns

The Joseon Dynasty backed up their data. Why can't the government?

Published: 28 Oct. 2025, 00:04

Lee Jae-young

The author is a professor of English literature at Seoul National University.

It has been a month since a fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) data center on Sept. 26 shut down much of Korea’s electronic government system. The blaze paralyzed 709 government networks, halting key public services such as mobile IDs, the Government24 portal and public institution websites. The heart of Korea’s globally exported e-government infrastructure was left in ruins, exposing the fragile data management capacity of an administration that has pledged to make Korea one of the world’s top three AI powers.

Even after a month, full recovery remains distant. As of Oct. 26, only 525 of the 709 systems had been restored, leaving the overall recovery rate at 74 percent. Complete normalization is expected to take much longer.

A firefighter sprays water on fire-damaged lithium-ion batteries submerged in a water tank at the National Information Resources Service in Yuseong District, Daejeon, on the night of Sept. 27. [YONHAP]

That such a vital national system was defenseless against fire is both shocking and regrettable. What makes the case even more troubling is the cause: a lithium-ion battery explosion. Maintenance records show that the battery had already exceeded its ten-year life span by one year, yet replacement recommendations were ignored. Early warning signs were detected during inspections but went unaddressed. Investigators later found that critical data servers had been installed right next to the high-risk battery units, with inadequate fire suppression measures. The failure to maintain proper data backup and redundancy systems meant that when the disaster struck, the digital lifelines of government simply collapsed.

This debacle calls to mind the meticulous record-keeping of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Centuries ago, Korea’s rulers took extraordinary precautions to preserve their most vital state information — the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). From the founding of the Dynasty, archival repositories known as “sago” were established in four locations across the country — Seoul, Chungju, Seongju and Jeonju — to protect records from fire or war.

During the Japanese invasions of the late 16th century, three of those archives were destroyed, but the Jeonju repository survived intact. The episode underscored not only the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)’s deep commitment to safeguarding information, but also its foresight in distributing archives for disaster resilience. After the war, the government expanded the system to five sites — Seoul, Ganghwa Island, Odaesan, Taebaeksan and Myohyangsan — laying the foundation for one of the world’s most advanced record-keeping cultures of its time.

Seen through this historic lens, the NIRS fire is deeply humiliating. In an age when data is hailed as the most valuable resource of the AI era, Korea failed to uphold even the most basic principles of data security. Despite the fanfare around digital innovation, few in government seemed genuinely concerned with building robust systems for data preservation.

Investors often say that “a bubble isn’t a bubble until it bursts.” One wonders if public officials overseeing national data have taken a similar attitude — believing that “a system isn’t faulty until it fails.” If this is the safety mindset of those managing critical state infrastructure, the state of security at universities and private institutions must be even more precarious. The decentralized and redundant management of information resources cannot be emphasized enough.

Participants cut a ribbon during the opening ceremony of the National Annals of the Joseon Dynasty Museum in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, on Nov. 11, 2023. [CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION]

Another lesson from the disaster is the need for a stable energy storage system for data centers. Modern information resources depend entirely on electricity, yet as the NIRS incident shows, batteries themselves can be a source of danger. Korea, a global leader in battery production technology, must take the lead in developing multilayered safety systems to prevent such incidents. It would be an embarrassment for the world’s top battery producer to fail at safely operating its own national facilities.

The NIRS system has yet to return to full functionality, and many doubt it will be completely restored by year’s end. Korea cannot afford to keep repairing the barn after the cow is gone. Amid the spectacle of rapid technological progress, the country risks neglecting the basics. The wisdom of our ancestors, who saw national records as treasures to be protected and passed down through generations, deserves to be rediscovered in this digital age.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.