On the morning of the 28th, a joint investigation team composed of police, the National Forensic Service, and fire services entered the National Information Resources Service to determine the cause of a battery explosion accident. (Daejeon Ilbo DB)
On the 29th, People’s Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo criticized the fire at the Daejeon National Information Resources Service, which paralyzed the national administrative network, calling it a “predicted disaster” and arguing that the “shutdown of Korea is a matter for a special investigation.”
On his Facebook page, Rep. Joo stated, “Nothing is safe, from immigration, quarantine, logistics, loans to trials,” criticizing the Lee Jae-myung administration for focusing solely on special investigation directives, Supreme Court chief hearings, disbanding the prosecution, and the expulsion of Lee Jin-sook.
He continued, “This was because they were more interested in the ‘ashes’ to eliminate Lee Jae-myung’s trial,” and criticized the lack of backup preparation even when personal PCs are replaced, and the absence of fire prevention or early suppression measures when replacing lithium batteries prone to explosion.
He further remarked, “It is said that unskilled part-time workers from small non-specialized contractors were mobilized at the work site, and it is still unclear whether the government supervision was in place,” emphasizing that “under the Serious Accident Punishment Act, the primary contractor is responsible when a subcontractor works. This is a government responsibility, so why are they trying to conceal things? The Lee Jae-myung administration is already trying to obscure the truth. This is an issue worthy of a special investigation.”
On the 28th, Rep. Joo also criticized on Facebook, “The ‘I don’t care’ president remained silent for 40 hours and eventually resorted to blaming the previous administration.”
He said, “Korea has been exposed. President Lee Jae-myung, who remained silent for 40 hours, only made statements to avoid causing inconvenience in delivery and tax payment and directed specific inquiries to the departments, which is the epitome of irresponsibility. He even went as far as blaming the former administration.”
He added, “President Lee, who said disaster response requires direct presidential orders, what was he doing, where, and with whom?” emphasizing that “the fire at the National Information Resources Service is not just an administrative inconvenience issue. The paralysis of immigration, quarantine, and credential verification is a national security issue. It’s as if the borders have been breached.”
Moreover, he expressed concern about “the potential breach of valuable financial data, sensitive hospital information, and personal data,” stressing the need to “prepare for potential cyberattacks from North Korean and Chinese hackers during the data recovery process.”
Additionally, he urged, “The president holds ultimate responsibility. He should transparently disclose his whereabouts for the 40-hour period and apologize to the public.”
Rep. Joo also referred to President Lee’s 2023 statement about “wielding administrative power arbitrarily and blaming the previous government, the opposition, and others when problems arise,” adding, “The 2023 Lee Jae-myung to the current Lee Jae-myung.”
Furthermore, he criticized, “During his time as leader of the Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung was busy cutting the previous government’s budget. It’s obvious where the blame is going, but the president should step in to minimize public damage. Once admitted to being wrong, the Minister of the Interior and Safety, Yoon Ho-joong, should be dismissed after resolution.”