UPDATE - Normalization of operations to take 2 weeks following fire at South Korea's state data center

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, CHANGES HEADER AND LEDE

​​​​​​​By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea on Sunday began gradually restoring the administrative computer network at the state data center after a fire caused by a battery explosion, though a full restoration is expected to take about two weeks, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

The Interior Ministry said it will gradually begin operating the remaining 551 computer systems that were suspended for safety reasons and were not directly affected by the fire.

Some 30 of them have resumed operation.​​​​​​​

The Finance Ministry said its key platforms, including the state financial information network and the government subsidies portal, have resumed operation.

"The government is making efforts to swiftly restore the administrative system. We will disclose the progress in the recovery work and the cause of the fire in a transparent manner," said Kim Kwang-yong, chief of the Disaster Safety Management Headquarters.

The fire started on Friday at the National Information Resources Service in the central city of Daejeon after a lithium-ion battery exploded in a fifth-floor computer room.

The explosion occurred in an uninterruptible power supply battery while workers were disconnecting it to relocate it to the basement.

Of the 647 government network systems at the center, 96 were believed to be damaged, including the mobile ID and online postal services. Among affected systems, 436 are public services and 211 are internal government networks.

The fire was extinguished by 6 pm (0900GMT) Saturday, about 22 hours after it began.

Separately on Sunday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered ministries to focus all resources on quickly restoring government systems and minimizing public inconvenience after the fire.

At an emergency meeting, Lee expressed concern about the disruption and called for transparent communication to keep the public informed about the damage and recovery efforts.

*Aamir Latif in Karachi also contributed to story