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Illustration of cryptocurrency and cybersecurity, as North Korea denies allegations of involvement in global hacking incidents. /Getty Images
May 3 (Asia Today) — North Korea denied allegations that it was behind recent international cryptocurrency hacking and cybercrime cases, calling the claims “false information” and warning that it would not tolerate them.
A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued the statement Sunday in response to a question from the Korean Central News Agency.
The ministry called the allegations “absurd slander” aimed at damaging North Korea’s image for political purposes.
“The United States is trying to spread a distorted perception of our country by using government agencies, compliant media outlets and plot-making organizations to talk about a nonexistent cyber threat from us,” the ministry said.
It also accused Washington of portraying itself as a victim while controlling global information technology infrastructure and carrying out cyberattacks against other countries.
The ministry said U.S. claims about North Korean cyber threats are an extension of Washington’s hostile policy toward Pyongyang.
North Korea “will never overlook the increasingly blatant confrontational attempts by hostile forces,” the ministry said, adding that it would take all necessary measures to protect its national interests and citizens’ rights.
The international community has repeatedly identified North Korea-linked hacking groups as suspects in major cyberattacks and cryptocurrency thefts.
The Lazarus Group, believed to be linked to North Korea, has been cited as a possible actor behind an April 18 hack of decentralized finance platform KelpDAO that reportedly involved about $290 million in cryptocurrency.
Lazarus drew global attention after the 2014 Sony Pictures hack and has since been linked to major cybercrime cases, including the 2016 Bangladesh central bank heist and the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack.
The FBI also said North Korea was responsible for the theft of about $1.5 billion in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Bybit in February last year.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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