North Korea has condemned new US sanctions linked to cybercrimes. It says it is a show of hostility towards the regime and has announced retaliation against the measures.
North Korea on Thursday strongly condemned the latest United States sanctions against individuals and organizations accused of cybercrimes. Pyongyang called them proof of Washington’s “evil and hostile nature” towards the North Korean regime, TASR reports, according to AFP and Reuters reports.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions on eight individuals and two entities it said were involved in various North Korean theft and money laundering schemes through cyberattacks.
Sanctions due to theft
According to the US Department, they were “state-sponsored hackers” whose illegal activities served to finance the North Korean regime’s nuclear program. U.S. officials say North Korean cybercriminals have stolen more than $3 billion over the past three years using sophisticated methods such as advanced malware.
Pyongyang has warned that it will respond to the sanctions in an appropriate manner. “The U.S. must realize that no matter how many sanctions it imposes, the chance of changing the current strategic situation between the U.S. and North Korea in its favor is less than zero,” KCNA said in a statement, citing the country’s vice prime minister in charge of relations with the U.S.
A response to Trump’s offer
Washington’s moves come shortly after US President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed his willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his recent trip to Asia. However, Pyongyang did not respond to the offer. The two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term, but talks on denuclearization eventually collapsed due to disagreements over the extent of concessions North Korea should make, AFP recalls.
