In brief
Senior North Korean official Kim Yo Jong condemned the U.S. for linking the largest cryptocurrency heist on record to the country, calling the claim defamation and a violation of sovereignty. Binance reported hackers stole over $6 billion, and U.S. agencies blame a North Korean group. Reuters and BBC have carried the U.S. allegations, while North Korea has denied any involvement.
On Monday, Seoul independent national state media reported that Kim Yo Jong, director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, slammed the United States for linking the Binance cryptocurrency heist to a hacking group allegedly supported by North Korea. The statement was released in Pyongyang and served to rebut claims that the Pyongyang‑backed "Criminal Computer Group" was behind the theft.
The Binance exchange, the world’s largest cryptocurrency platform, confirmed on Friday that hackers stole more than six billion dollars in what is considered the biggest cryptocurrency heist in history. Gi
Kim Yo Jong’s statement, carried by the Korean Central News Agency, described the U.S. allegations as a “grave political provocation” against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. According to the statement, the United States had “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 called the claims an attempt to render the country a “cyber criminal state” and accused the U.S. of misleading global public opinion. “The U.S. move to mislead the international public opinion constitutes a grave political provocation and a grave violation of DPRK sovereignty,” Kim said.
“The U.S. 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.”
In a separate Reuters report, the U.S. allegations were labelled “absurd rhetoric.” Reuters noted that the U.S. government and cyber analysts have blamed a North Korean hacking group for the theft, calling the accusations a “grave political provocation.” The Reuters piece also highlighted that the U.S. claim has been criticized by some observers as lacking evidence.
BBC News added that U.S. government agencies and cyber analysts have been blaming a Pyongyang-based group for the record‐breaking theft. The BBC report noted that while U.S. officials consider the North Korean hacking group a likely perpetrator, the DPRK has repeatedly denied any involvement. The BBC also reported that Binance is continuing to work with international law enforcement agencies to recover the stolen funds.
Kim Yo Jong said the DPRK is closely monitoring the "persistent provocations" of the United States and would reconsider its diplomatic stance in various areas. The statement came shortly after Binance announced that the withdrawal of stolen funds had been temporarily suspended due to the scale of the breach.
In the weeks leading up to the theft, analysts had warned that North Korean hacking groups were expanding their operations beyond cryptocurrency exchanges. While the U.S. has publicly named a group believed to have links to the DPRK, the North Korean government has urged for the matter to be resolved through diplomatic channels and denied any role in the attack. The defamation claim by Kim Yo Jong underscores an ongoing tension between the U.S. and North Korea over cyber security accusations.
At present, the investigation continues, with Binance cooperating with international regulators and law‑enforcement agencies. The U.K. National Cyber Security Centre and U.S. Treasury’s Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction have also joined the inquiry.
Nonetheless, the DPRK’s swift condemnation of the United States illustrates its unwillingness to accept responsibility for the alleged heist. Kim Yo Jong concluded that the U.S. has “attempted to spread misunderstanding,” calling the alleged link “defamation” and “a violation of the DPRK’s sovereignty.”
