North Korea has condemned the latest round of United States sanctions targeting individuals and entities accused of funding its nuclear weapons program through cybercrime, calling Washington’s actions “wicked” and promising countermeasures.
The statement from North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Un Chol on Thursday came two days after the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned eight people and two companies allegedly linked to state-sponsored hacking and money laundering schemes.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, North Korea’s hacking networks have stolen more than $3 billion in digital assets over the past three years, the largest amount attributed to any nation. Officials said the illicit funds are being funneled through an international web of banking representatives, shell firms, and financial institutions operating in North Korea, China, Russia, and other countries.
“These malicious cyber activities generate revenue that directly supports North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” the Treasury said in a statement on Tuesday.
The sanctioned individuals include several North Korean bankers accused of helping launder cryptocurrency and digital assets obtained through IT worker fraud, ransomware, and crypto heists.
In a response carried by state media, Vice Minister Kim Un Chol said the new sanctions prove that Washington’s “hostility toward the DPRK has reached wicked levels.” He warned that North Korea would respond with unspecified “proper measures” and would remain patient “for any length of time.”
“Now that the present U.S. administration has clarified its stand to be hostile towards the DPRK to the last, we will also take proper measures to counter it,” Kim said, adding that sanctions “will never change the present strategic situation” or alter Pyongyang’s stance.
The sanctions come as President Donald Trump continues to signal interest in restarting stalled nuclear talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which collapsed in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions relief and denuclearization steps.
Kim Jong Un has since distanced himself from Washington, deepening ties with Russia and sending weapons and military personnel to support Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, according to U.S. and allied intelligence reports.
In recent months, Kim has intensified calls for the U.S. to drop demands for nuclear disarmament as a precondition for talks. During a recent speech, he rejected Trump’s invitation to meet while the U.S. president attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea last week.
Washington and its allies have long accused North Korea of using cybercrime to sidestep international sanctions and fund its weapons programs. In 2023, the U.N. estimated that Pyongyang’s cyber operations accounted for nearly half of its foreign currency earnings.
The U.S. Treasury Department said it will continue targeting networks involved in laundering stolen digital assets and urged international partners to enhance vigilance against North Korean cyber threats.
Africa Digital News, New York
