PYONGYANG, July 5: North Korea on July 2 berated the US judicial authorities for placing its citizens on a wanted list over alleged “cybercrimes,” calling it part of Washington’s “absurd smear campaign” aimed at tarnishing the country’s image, reports Anadolu Ajensi.
“The recent incident is an absurd smear campaign and grave violation of sovereignty aimed at tarnishing the image of our state, as it is a continuation of the hostile move of the successive US administrations that have talked much about the non-existent ‘cyber threat’ from the DPRK,” the official Korean Central News Agency said, quoting a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
The reaction came after the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia indicted four North Korean nationals in connection with a scheme to steal and launder approximately $900,000 in cryptocurrency.
They are accused of wire fraud and money laundering offenses. The four individuals have also been added to a federal wanted list.
“The DPRK Foreign Ministry expresses serious concern over the US judicial authorities’ provocation which is threatening and encroaching on the security, rights and interests of our citizens by fabricating the groundless ‘cyber’ drama, and strongly denounces and rejects it,” the spokesperson said, adding that the real threat of creating international cyberspace instability comes not from the DPRK but from the United States.
Launching a tirade against the US, the North Korean official said that the country has the right to take a proper and proportionate countermeasure to thoroughly protect the security and rights of its citizens from any kind of politically geared judicial action.
The DPRK official further said that Pyongyang will never tolerate any hostile act of the United States to encroach upon the DPRK sovereignty through groundless slander and illegal application of judicial means, and will firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens.
(UNI)
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