Key facts
- North Korea accused the US and its allies of fabricating cyber threats to tarnish its image and justify pressure.
- A foreign ministry spokesperson described a recent US-led joint warning about North Korean cyber threats as a political accusation.
- The spokesperson criticized the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) for its actions.
- North Korea stated that the US, possessing the world's largest cyber force, is illogical in raising 'cyber threat' concerns.
- The statement responded to a joint alert warning that North Korean IT workers use false identities to generate revenue for Pyongyang's weapons programs.
- North Korea accused Washington of militarizing cyberspace and warned against politically motivated pressure.
North Korea has accused the United States and its allies of fabricating accusations about its cyber activities to tarnish its image and justify pressure on sovereign nations. A foreign ministry spokesperson described a recent US-led joint warning regarding North Korean cyber threats as an illogical political accusation, particularly criticizing the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT).
The spokesperson highlighted the perceived hypocrisy of the US, which possesses the world's largest cyber force, in discussing 'cyber threats' from other countries. This statement appears to be a direct response to a joint alert issued by the US, South Korea, Japan, and eight other nations. The alert warned that North Korean IT workers use false identities to secure remote employment and generate revenue for Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, employing sophisticated tools like AI to conceal their activities and potentially posing insider threats and engaging in data theft.
North Korea further accused Washington of militarizing cyberspace through warfare capabilities and joint cyber exercises with allies. The spokesperson stated that Pyongyang would not tolerate politically motivated attempts to use cyber issues as a means of pressure. In a separate commentary, a North Korean military commentator accused the US, South Korea, and Japan of using the RIMPAC naval exercise as a rehearsal for aggression, creating a new security crisis in the Asia-Pacific region.