(LEAD) Lee orders inspections of all gov't network systems after data center fire

▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Seoul on Sept. 30, 2025. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-Cabinet meeting

(LEAD) Lee orders inspections of all gov't network systems after data center fire

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from fifth para)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday instructed all government institutions to carry out inspections of their network infrastructure to identify problems and submit reports by next week.

Lee gave the instruction during a Cabinet meeting as public services continued to suffer disruptions following last week's fire at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

"I want each ministry to promptly inspect whether the facilities and systems under their agencies, especially those related to security and public safety, are functioning properly according to their manuals, and whether the manuals are adequately prepared," he said.

He urged the ministries to identify problems and solutions and submit written reports at the earliest possible date so they can be reviewed during next week's Cabinet meeting.

To minimize public inconveniences caused by the fire, Lee called for the government to promptly restore systems and implement measures to prevent cyber crimes, such as hacking and phishing, that could exploit the administrative network outage.

During the meeting, he urged thorough preparations to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 31 and Nov.1.

"The APEC summit is only a month away," Lee said. "I want you to thoroughly prepare, with an attitude of tapping even on a stone bridge."

This year's gathering is expected to set a major diplomatic stage, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are anticipated to attend.

Lee is widely expected to hold bilateral summits with both leaders on the margins of the forum. If realized, it would mark the second summit with Trump in about two months and the first meeting with Xi since taking office in June.

Ahead of the extended Chuseok holiday, which begins Friday, Lee also called for measures to stabilize prices of agricultural products, which have recently risen.

"I want you to pay the utmost attention to stabilize inflation, which is directly linked to people's livelihoods," he said, stressing the need to establish a stable supply chain for agricultural products to address structural problems.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved