Pyongyang Condemns Washington and Allies' Warning Regarding Their IT Workers

North Korea accused the United States and its allied countries of seeking to “smear the image” of the communist state, after it warned against the employment of North Korean workers in the information technology sector, according to state media on Tuesday.

On Friday, the United States and ten allied countries in Asia and Europe issued a joint statement saying that Pyongyang uses skilled IT workers under false identities to fund its nuclear and missile programs.

The Korean Central News Agency quoted an unnamed spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who rejected the warning, calling it a “stereotypical political accusation aimed at smearing the image of our country.”

The spokesperson said, “It is illogical for the United States, which possesses and operates the world’s largest cyber force thanks to its monopoly over key resources in cyberspace, to speak of (cyber) threats emanating from other countries,” placing the U.S. accusations within the context of “justifying its illegal policy of exerting pressure on sovereign states.”

The warning issued by the United States and its allies stated that North Korean IT specialists assume the identities of citizens from other countries to obtain jobs and income through online employment platforms, then transfer the funds to government institutions in Pyongyang.