North Korea slams US sanctions on cybercrimes and says pressure tactics will fail

North Korea Denounces U.S. Sanctions on Cybercrime Networks Funding Nuclear Program

North Korea has issued a sharp rebuke against the United States following new sanctions targeting individuals and firms involved in laundering money from cybercrime operations that finance Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

In a statement released Thursday, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Un Chol condemned the measures, accusing the U.S. of maintaining “wicked” hostility toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and promised unspecified countermeasures in response.

“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 with patience for any length of time,” Kim stated, emphasizing that American pressure tactics would neither change the “present strategic situation” between the countries nor alter North Korea’s position.

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed the sanctions on Tuesday, targeting eight individuals and two companies, including North Korean bankers allegedly involved in money laundering schemes. According to Treasury officials, North Korea’s state-sponsored hacking operations have stolen more than $3 billion in primarily digital assets over the past three years—a figure unmatched by any other foreign actor.

U.S. authorities detailed how North Korea relies on a sophisticated network of banking representatives, financial institutions, and shell companies operating in North Korea, China, Russia, and other locations to launder funds obtained through various illicit activities, including IT worker fraud, cryptocurrency heists, and sanctions evasion.

These sanctions come at a complex moment in U.S.-North Korea relations. Despite the enforcement actions, U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to express interest in reviving talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Previous nuclear negotiations between the two leaders collapsed in 2019 during Trump’s first term, when they failed to reach agreement on exchanging sanctions relief for steps toward dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

The diplomatic landscape has shifted significantly since those failed negotiations. Kim Jong Un has rejected all overtures from Washington and Seoul, instead pivoting toward strengthening ties with Moscow. North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of troops and substantial military equipment to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, part of what analysts see as Pyongyang’s strategy to secure a stronger position within an anti-Western alliance.

Regional security experts note that this alignment with Russia represents a significant shift in North Korea’s foreign policy approach, with Pyongyang seemingly confident in its nuclear deterrent and seeking to leverage its military capabilities for diplomatic and economic advantages.

In a recent address, Kim emphasized that Washington must abandon its precondition that North Korea surrender its nuclear arsenal before diplomatic talks can resume. Notably, he ignored Trump’s proposal for a meeting during the American president’s visit to South Korea last week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The escalating tensions highlight the growing challenge of addressing North Korea’s nuclear program, which continues to advance despite years of international sanctions. Cybercrime has emerged as a critical funding source for Pyongyang’s weapons development, allowing the regime to circumvent traditional financial restrictions.

Security analysts warn that North Korea’s cyber capabilities represent a sophisticated threat not only to financial institutions but also to critical infrastructure worldwide, further complicating international efforts to contain the country’s nuclear ambitions.