Cold snap troubles Citibank customers

By Kang Seung-woo

Customers of Citibank Korea suffered inconvenience due to a problem with the banks computer system Friday.

According to the lender, the cooling system at its computer center in Incheon froze and pipes burst due to the extremely cold temperatures, which damaged the main computer system in the morning.

As a result, Internet and phone banking, and ATM services came to a standstill at a total of 220 branches of the bank.

Citibank shifted operation to its emergency backup system in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and services were gradually restored by late afternoon.

To cope with the resultant backlog, executives and employees worked a nightshift.

“After the main computer system was back to normal on Sunday morning, all banking services became available as of the afternoon,” the bank said in a statement.