The Slatest

North Korea Calls Sony Hack a “Righteous Deed” but Denies Involvement

Motorists pass an exterior wall to Sony Pictures Entertainment in Los Angeles.

Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

The North Korean government has denied it was in any way involved in the massive hacking of Sony Pictures. But it sure isn’t unhappy that it happened, saying that it may have been carried out by Pyongyang supporters, reports the Washington Post. After Sony Pictures suffered a massive hack last month attention immediately turned to North Korea, which had already vowed to carry out “merciless counter-measures” over an upcoming film. The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a plan to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The country’s official news agency, KCNA, published a statement from the spokesman for the policy department of the country’s National Defence Commission denying involvement in the hack, calling speculation that Pyongyang was involved a “wild rumor” that is being spread by “the south Korean puppet authorities.” The statement goes on (via KCNA Watch):

We do not know where in America the SONY Pictures is situated and for what wrongdoings it became the target of the attack nor we feel the need to know about it.

But what we clearly know is that the SONY Pictures is the very one which was going to produce a film abetting a terrorist act while hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK by taking advantage of the hostile policy of the U.S. administration towards the DPRK.

We already called upon the world to turn out in the just struggle to put an end to U.S. imperialism, the chieftain of aggression and the worst human rights abuser that tramples down the universal rights of people to peaceful and stable life and violates the sovereignty of other countries, as well as its followers.

The hacking into the SONY Pictures might be a righteous deed of the supporters and sympathizers with the DPRK in response to its appeal.

North Korea also warns the U.S. “should also know that there are a great number of supporters and sympathizers with the DPRK all over the world.”

The Sony hack exposed a trove of internal documents, including addresses and salaries of employees and freelancers, contracts, and other sensitive information, reports CNet. Shortly after the hack, four unreleased Sony movies were posted online.