North Korea rejected US allegations on Tuesday, November 3, that it was responsible for stealing more than $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described the accusation as "absurd rhetoric" and said it reflected continued hostility from Washington, according to state news agency KCNA.
The FBI said over the weekend that North Korea was behind the theft from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The loss of more than $6 billion in virtual assets could make the attack the biggest financial heist ever. The bureau attributed it to members of TraderTraitor, a unit it described as sponsored by the North Korean state.
According to the FBI, law enforcement officials had seen those involved converting the stolen assets into Ethereum. The bureau said it expected further efforts to launder the funds. Binance, meanwhile, said it had used its own money to cover most of the assets taken from the platform.
In remarks carried by KCNA, Kim Yo Jong, who is also a ruling party official, accused the FBI of attempting to label North Korea a "cybercriminal state". She challenged the US allegation that a hacking organisation supported by Pyongyang had carried out the theft and characterised the accusation as a political provocation.
Kim also accused Washington of misleading international opinion by presenting cybercrimes around the world as North Korea's responsibility. Pyongyang denies allegations connecting it to cryptocurrency theft or other cybercrime, while cybersecurity experts describe North Korean hackers as among the most active cryptocurrency thieves globally.
Those experts say the proceeds contribute to funding North Korea's weapons programmes. Despite being one of the world's poorest countries, North Korea has directed resources obtained through illicit means and activities prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions into its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes.
The dispute comes as Pyongyang has made no public response to US President Donald Trump's offers to restart summit diplomacy. In her statement, Kim said North Korea had "issues to reconsider" because of what she described as Washington's hostile attitude, but did not identify the matters under review.
Her warning left the possible implications for diplomatic engagement unspecified. Experts have said North Korea may be assessing its options as Trump's overtures remain unanswered.
