A power outage at the Knowledge-Industry Centre in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, left approximately 400 tenant companies without electricity [1].
The failure disrupted essential services for factories, shops, and offices, halting computer-based transactions and production. Because the outage disabled refrigeration equipment, the event raised significant concerns for pharmaceutical and food factories operating within the complex [2].
The outage began on the evening of July 20 [2]. It shut down air-conditioning, water purifiers, and refrigeration systems during a period of intense heat. An unnamed employee of a tenant company said, "I just kept sitting there in the dark. I couldn't work and it was so hot, really" [2].
Investigators determined the cause was an internal short circuit in the high-voltage transmission equipment located inside the building's electric room [2]. Repairs were delayed because the facility lacked critical spare parts [2].
The disruption forced hundreds of businesses to cease operations. With computers offline, administrative tasks and sales transactions stopped entirely, leaving workers unable to perform basic duties in the dark offices [2].
“Approximately 400 tenant companies were left without electricity.”
This incident highlights the vulnerability of concentrated industrial hubs where hundreds of diverse businesses rely on a single point of failure. The delay in restoration due to missing spare parts suggests a gap in critical infrastructure maintenance that can lead to significant economic loss and potential spoilage of temperature-sensitive medical and food supplies.
