Cyberattack on Binance as a pretext: Kim Yo Jong exposes new US provocation

North Korea leader's sister, Deputy Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Yo Jong, issued an official statement accusing the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of a deliberate political provocation.

According to a report by North Korea's central KCNA agency, Pyongyang's sharp demarche was triggered by the latest accusations leveled by American intelligence services. In its reports, the FBI claimed that North Korean special services were behind a large-scale cyberattack on Binance, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, and the theft of digital assets.

«A convenient mask»: Attempt to hide failures in the digital market

In her statement, Kim Yo Jong revealed the true nature of this method frequently used by Washington:

• A tool for information warfare: The DPRK representative stated that Washington constantly uses the image of "powerful North Korean hackers" on the international stage to cover up systemic flaws in its own internal financial and digital infrastructure;

• Vulnerability of Western crypto-platforms: Instead of admitting the technological weakness of Western financial systems and their inability to control transnational financial flows, the US administration has made it a habit to blame a closed sovereign state for any financial shocks;

• Pretext for new sanctions: The statement indicates that the real goal of the FBI's accusations is to create an artificial basis in the media to introduce a new package of economic restrictions (sanctions) against the DPRK. This is because traditional military threats against Pyongyang are no longer yielding the expected political results.

For reference: Kim Yo Jong's political weight in North Korea

Kim Yo Jong, considered Pyongyang's most active and sharp-tongued voice on international politics, holds a significant position in the country's leadership:

• Position held: She has been serving as Deputy Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2021;

• Experience: Prior to this, from 2015 to 2021, she served as the first deputy director of this important department.

This statement by the DPRK leadership shows that the confrontation with the US in the global digital space is intensifying and that the information war between the parties has entered a new stage.