Following the FBI’s announcement finding North Korea directly responsible for last month’s destructive cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), the repressive regime proceeded to threaten not only Sony but the United States government with war.
Accusing the U.S. government of being behind the making of the movie “The Interview,” a new threat published in English by the Korean Central News Agency on Sunday reads,
“The [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] has clear evidence that the U.S. administration was deeply involved in the making of such dishonest reactionary movie…"
“The army and people of the DPRK are fully ready to stand in confrontation with the U.S. in all war spaces including cyber warfare space to blow up those citadels.”
The agency went on to say, “Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the ‘symmetric counteraction’ declared by Obama.”
The North Korean government issued this statement as a forewarning to President Obama if the U.S. should decide to retaliate for the costly Sony breach.
“The usual writer for the DPRK [Pyongyang] has finally come back from vacation because we’re seeing that bellicose, saber-rattling–typical rhetoric from North Korea,” reports CNN correspondent Kyung Lah from Seoul, South Korea. “They are upping the ante.”
“It came from the National Defense Commission. This is essentially the agency that, as far as we know, runs the military–the Pentagon, if you will–speaking directly for Kim Jong-un.”
With this new threat, it seems as though North Korea intends to capitalize on its recent publicity.
“North Korea craves attention," Lah says. "And they are saying, O.K., everyone is concerned about cyber attacks–well we’re going to make it worse."
Lah warns that the U.S. should approach this threat with a level of “seriousness” and assess how much of its rhetoric North Korea could actually achieve.
“It’s typical North Korea language, but at the same time we have to remember this is a brutal regime.”
Despite its threats, North Korea continues to deny its involvement in the Sony hack.
The North Korean government charges South Korea with spreading such a “rumor” and chastises President Obama for following in suit.
“The rumor about ‘cyber-attack’ by the DPRK was a concoction made by south Korean puppet regime and its plot… What is grave is that U.S. President Obama is recklessly making the rumor about ‘DPRK’s cyber-attack on Sony Pictures’ a fait accompli.”
Sony cancelled its Dec. 25 release of “The Interview,” a comedy depicting an assassination plot against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but is reportedly exploring options for distribution.