North Korea rejects US cyber threat claims as 'absurd slander,' warns of countermeasures

North Korea on Sunday rejected US accusations as an "absurd slander" that Pyongyang has been behind recent international hacking activity, state media reported.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Washington is building a narrative about a "non-existent cyber threat" from Pyongyang for political purposes, describing the claims as "nothing but an absurd slander to tarnish the image of our country," the Korean Central News Agency reported.

"Recently, the US government organs, reptile media organs and plot-breeding organizations are trying to spread incorrect understanding of the DPRK to the international community, talking about the non-existent 'cyber threat' from the DPRK," said the spokesperson, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "One common point in their unilateral assertion is that all cyber-related frauds in different parts of the world are related to us and that the US boasting of the world's best cyber technical power is the world's greatest 'victim.'

"It is quite unreasonable for the US, which resorts to indiscriminate cyber attacks on other countries with the global IT infrastructure under its control, to describe itself as the 'victim,'" said the spokesperson, adding that the allegations are an extension of its "hostile policy" toward Pyongyang and are "politically motivated."

Pyongyang warned that it will "actively" take all necessary measures to defend its interests and protect the rights and interests of its citizens.

US authrities have repeatedly accused Pyongyang of state-sponsored cyber activity, including hacking, cryptocurrency theft and networks of overseas IT workers.

The US Treasury Department sanctioned six individuals and two entities linked to North Korean IT worker operations in March, saying they helped channel illicit earnings through digital assets.