North Korea warns of retaliation after US blames Pyongyang for Sony hacking
An irate Pyongyang has released a statement through its Korean Central News Agency threatening an attack against the US, after Washington announced North Korea is to blame for the Sony Picture hacking scandal, Sputnik reported.
"The US and its followers are groundlessly trumpeting that the recent cyberattack was made by the DPRK," North Korea said in a statement released on Sunday. "The army and people of the DPRK are fully ready to stand in confrontation with the US in all war spaces including cyberspace to blow up those citadels," the press release continued.
On Sunday, President Obama told CNN that he regarded the Sony Pictures hack, one of the worst in corporate history and estimated to end up costing the company almost $200 million, as "an act of cybervandalism" on the part of North Korea, rather than "an act of war." However, the president disclosed that the US is currently reviewing, using its "clear criteria," whether to put the country back on the list of states that it believes sponsor terrorism.
North Korea on Sunday retaliated by accusing the US of being a "cesspool of terrorism," and threatened that "our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland…" by far surpassing the "symmetric counteraction" declared by Obama."
The DPRK also took the opportunity to reiterate its denial of any link with the Sony hack, but also to praise those who carried it out: "the DPRK is more highly praising the 'guardians of peace' for their righteous deed which prevented in advance the evil cycle of retaliation-- terrorism sparks terrorism."