North Korea has rejected US allegations linking it to the theft of more than $6 billion in digital assets from Binance, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, describing Washington's accusations as politically motivated and unsupported by evidence.

Pyongyang denounced US efforts to associate North Korea with international cybercrime without presenting concrete proof, calling the allegations a hostile political provocation.

Kim Yo Jong calls FBI allegations "absurd rhetoric"

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed the FBI's claim that North Korean hackers were behind the attack as "absurd rhetoric" and "nothing new."

According to North Korea's state news agency KCNA, Kim accused Washington of repeatedly attempting to portray North Korea as a "cyber criminal state" whenever major cyber incidents occur around the world, saying the latest accusations once again demonstrated the United States' hostile policy toward Pyongyang.

Following the massive cryptocurrency theft, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attributed the attack to the North Korea-linked hacking group TraderTraitor, saying investigators had observed the group converting part of the stolen assets into Ethereum and expected further money-laundering attempts.

US President Donald Trump, however, said North Korea's responsibility had not yet been conclusively established.

"We don't know if it's North Korea," Trump told reporters, adding that if the investigation ultimately pointed to Pyongyang, the United States would address the issue through dialogue with North Korea.

Kim Yo Jong warned that Washington's continued accusations could have consequences for bilateral relations, saying North Korea might have to "reconsider" a number of issues in response to what she described as the United States' "very unpleasant hostile attitude."

Cyber allegations add strain to already tense relations

While the United States and South Korea have continued to accuse Pyongyang of conducting cyber operations to generate illicit revenue, North Korea maintains that such allegations are part of a broader effort to damage its international reputation.

Cybersecurity experts and blockchain analytics firms have repeatedly linked North Korean hacking groups to major cryptocurrency thefts, arguing that the proceeds help finance the country's ballistic missile and weapons programmes. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic estimated that North Korea has stolen approximately $7.6 billion worth of cryptocurrency this year, while Chainalysis said nearly 89 per cent of global crypto-hack losses in 2026 were linked to North Korean actors.

The latest dispute comes at a time when Trump has expressed interest in reviving diplomatic engagement with Kim Jong Un, bringing renewed attention to relations between Washington and Pyongyang. Analysts say Pyongyang's unusually swift response suggests concern that the allegations could lead to tighter international efforts to disrupt one of the country's alleged sources of foreign revenue.(ILKHA)