North Korea has denied accusations that its hackers were behind a massive cryptocurrency theft from Binance, dismissing the United States’ claims as an “absurd” provocation.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued the denial on Tuesday after the FBI publicly blamed North Korean hackers for the cyberattack, which reportedly resulted in more than US$6 billion (RM25 billion) being stolen.
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, disclosed the theft on Friday, describing it as potentially the biggest cryptocurrency heist on record.
The FBI subsequently attributed the attack to a North Korean hacking group known as TraderTraitor, which was also linked to a US$1.5 billion (RM6.3 billion) cyberattack on cryptocurrency exchange Bybit last year.
In a statement carried by North Korean state media, Kim Yo Jong described the FBI’s announcement as “a trite provocation” and “an absurd rhetoric”.
She accused Washington of repeatedly attempting to damage North Korea’s international reputation by linking the country to major cybercrime incidents without evidence.
“This is not the first time that the US has attempted to spread misunderstanding of the DPRK in the international community, blindly linking the DPRK with the ‘cyber crime’ incidents whenever they occur on an international scale,” she said.
Kim added that the latest accusation had once again exposed Washington’s hostile attitude towards Pyongyang, saying North Korea was closely monitoring what she described as continued American provocations.
Outside experts have long raised concerns over North Korea’s alleged involvement in cryptocurrency theft and other illegal cyber activities, which are believed to generate much-needed foreign currency for the country.
Such activities are also believed to help sustain its struggling economy and finance its nuclear programme amid strict international sanctions led by the US.
In December 2022, South Korea’s intelligence agency estimated that North Korean hackers had stolen 1.5 trillion won (approximately US$1.1 billion) in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets over the preceding five years.
Although Pyongyang has generally denied involvement, the country has been linked to several major cyberattacks over the years.
These include a 2013 cyberattack that paralysed the servers of South Korean financial institutions, the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures and the global WannaCry malware attack in 2017.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that North Korea’s illicit cyber activities posed an increasing threat to the global digital economy, adding that Seoul was working closely with Washington and the international community to address the issue.
The latest controversy comes as North Korea steps up its weapons testing, potentially seeking to strengthen its position in future diplomatic negotiations with the US.
US President Donald Trump has previously expressed interest in restoring diplomatic engagement with Kim Jong Un.
On Tuesday, North Korea announced that it had tested a new cluster warhead for strategic cruise missiles.
However, Trump appeared less certain about Pyongyang’s involvement in the Binance theft when questioned by reporters during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“I’m not concerned. We’re learning about it,” he said.
“We don’t know if it’s North Korea,” Trump added, while acknowledging that investigators could still establish whether the country was responsible.
In her latest statement, Kim Yo Jong warned that North Korea had “issues to reconsider in diverse aspects” regarding what she described as Washington’s increasingly hostile attitude.
