SEOUL, May 3 (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign ministry on Sunday rejected U.S. accusations that Pyongyang poses a cyber threat, calling them a fabrication aimed at justifying Washington's longstanding hostile policy, state media KCNA said.
A foreign ministry spokesperson said the United States was spreading false information about a "non‑existent 'cyber threat'" from North Korea for political purposes, describing the claims as "nothing but an absurd slander to tarnish the image of our country."
The spokesperson warned that Pyongyang would actively take all necessary measures for defending the interests of the state and protecting the rights and interests of its citizens in cyberspace, KCNA said.
U.S. officials have repeatedly accused North Korea of state-sponsored cyber activity, including hacking, cryptocurrency theft and networks of overseas IT workers used to generate revenue for its weapons programmes.
In March, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned six individuals and two entities linked to North Korean IT worker operations, saying they helped channel illicit earnings through digital assets. U.S. authorities said the schemes remain ongoing.
The Treasury and State Department imposed earlier sanctions in July on North Korean cyber operatives and foreign facilitators, saying Pyongyang deploys thousands of IT workers abroad and uses cyber-enabled theft to fund missile and nuclear development.
The U.S. Justice Department and FBI have also warned that North Korean cyber groups pose a continuing threat to governments, businesses and critical infrastructure worldwide.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim; Editing by Alistair Bell, Rod Nickel)
