The government will conduct a special investigation into the recent internet access malfunction and breach of personal information experienced by LG Uplus, the nation's third-largest wireless carrier.

The ICT ministry and the Korea Internet and Security Agency announced on Sunday that they would expand an ongoing probe launched last month to inspect the company's overall data protection system, including its security policy.

The government, which has issued a strong warning over the insufficient handling of the breaches by the company’s management, will analyze the cause behind the incidents while putting forth effective measures to prevent a recurrence.

LG Uplus suffered internet access malfunctions that lasted for about an hour on January 29 and again on Saturday following suspected DDoS attacks.

Last month, the company disclosed that the personal data of 290-thousand customers, including their names, birth dates and phone numbers, had been leaked.