The government has launched an investigation into a hacking incident that compromised the USIM information of SK Telecom(SKT) subscribers.

SKT announced in a press release Tuesday that it confirmed the USIM information was leaked around 11 p.m. Saturday as the result of a malware attack.

USIMs are chips that store information used to identify and authenticate individuals within a telecommunications network.

If USIM information is stolen, it can be used for illegal purposes such as identity theft and the production of cloned USIM chips.

SKT said subscribers' phone numbers and USIM verification codes were leaked, but not their names or resident registration numbers. 

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency have dispatched experts to the SKT headquarters and other sites, while the Personal Information Protection Commission is also investigating.