North Korea denied FBI allegations that hackers linked to the country stole $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance in an Oct. 29 attack. Kim Yo Jong called the accusation “absurd and nothing new.” (Foto: Instagram)
North Korea denied allegations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that hackers from the country were behind an attack on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. State media reported the denial on Monday, Nov. 2. The attack took place late in October.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, called the U.S. accusation “absurd and nothing new.” She said the United States has repeatedly linked North Korea to major cybercrime incidents, which she described as an effort to spread false information about the country internationally.
Kim also characterized statements from Washington as “a sinister attempt to damage North Korea’s international image,” saying their purpose was to undermine the country’s dignity and prestige.
The attack on Binance occurred on Oct. 29 and lasted about 20 minutes. The FBI said $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency was stolen, an amount equivalent to about 34 billion Brazilian reais. Investigators have attributed the operation to the North Korean group TraderTraitor, and the attack is considered the largest in cryptocurrency-sector history.
