Police launch formal probe into SK Telecom's customer data leak

Customers are lined up at an SK Telecom store in Seoul to receive free replacements for their universal subscriber identity module chips after the carrier suffered a massive data leak from an alleged cyberattack earlier this montn, Monday. Yonhap

Police said Wednesday they have launched a formal investigation into a recent hacking incident involving SK Telecom, the country's largest mobile carrier, that has prompted a rush of customers seeking to replace their USIM cards or transfer to other carriers.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's cyber investigation unit said it formed a 22-person task force to look into the alleged cyberattack on April 18, when the carrier detected signs of a massive leak of customers' universal subscriber identity module (USIM) data.

"We have swiftly secured relevant digital evidence and activated a mutual assistance system involving domestic and foreign partners to look into the details of the hacking and its mastermind," a police official said.

In response to the data leak, the carrier has offered free replacements of USIM chips for all of its 23 million users.

The police, who had been conducting an internal probe into the case, decided to launch a formal investigation in consideration of the high level of public interest and concern it has attracted.