North Korea Denies US Accusations of Cyber Attacks, Threatens Retaliation

Istanbul (ANTARA) - North Korea on Sunday (3/5) denied US accusations that the isolated nation was behind recent international hacking activities and described them as “absurd slander,” state media reported. A spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry stated that the US was constructing a narrative about a “non-existent cyber threat” for political purposes and portrayed the claims as “absurd slander to tarnish our country’s image,” according to a report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). “Recently, US government agencies, ‘reptile media,’ and conspiracy narrative-spreading organisations have attempted to mislead the international community about the DPRK by discussing what they call a ‘cyber threat’ from the DPRK that does not actually exist,” the spokesperson said. He noted that the US, which claims to have the world’s best cyber technology capabilities, ironically positions itself as a “victim,” while North Korea is always associated with all cyber scams. He added that the US accusations are a continuation of its “hostile policy” towards North Korea and are politically motivated. North Korea warned that it would “actively” take all necessary steps to defend its interests and protect the rights and interests of its citizens. The US has repeatedly accused North Korea of state-sponsored cyber activities, including hacking, cryptocurrency theft, and overseas IT worker networks. The US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions in March against six individuals and two entities linked to North Korean IT worker operations, on the grounds that they helped channel illegal revenue through digital assets.