North Korea Calls US Allegations Over $6.3 Billion Binance Heist 'Absurd Rhetoric'

North Korea has rejected US allegations that it was behind a $6.3 billion cryptocurrency theft from Binance, calling Washington's claims "absurd rhetoric" and accusing it of trying to portray the country as responsible for cybercrimes worldwide.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, made the remarks in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday. She said the allegations showed that the United States continued to maintain a hostile attitude towards Pyongyang.

"The US assertion is an absurd rhetoric and nothing new," Kim said, accusing Washington of misleading international public opinion by linking North Korea to cybercrimes across the world.

Her response came after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said over the weekend that North Korea was responsible for stealing more than $6 billion in virtual assets from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The FBI attributed the operation to TraderTraitor, a hacking group linked to North Korea.

The theft took place on October 29 and is being described as potentially the largest cryptocurrency heist on record. The incident triggered widespread concern among cryptocurrency investors and raised fresh questions about the security of digital asset platforms.

Binance temporarily suspended withdrawals following the incident and gradually restored services from Sunday. The exchange also launched a campaign offering trading fee rebates and rewards to eligible customers to rebuild confidence. According to Reuters, customers had withdrawn a net $4.72 billion from the platform as of Monday.

North Korea has repeatedly denied allegations linking it to cryptocurrency theft and other cybercrimes. However, cybersecurity experts say hacking operations have become an important source of foreign currency for the heavily sanctioned country, with proceeds allegedly helping finance its nuclear and missile programmes.

Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic estimates that North Korea has stolen cryptocurrency worth $7.6 billion this year, more than in any previous year. Chainalysis has also estimated that 89 per cent of cryptocurrency hacking losses in 2026 were linked to North Korea, compared with 15 per cent in 2021.

Analysts believe Pyongyang's swift response to the Binance allegations could reflect concerns that the accusations may lead to tougher international action against cryptocurrency wallets, exchanges and money-laundering networks.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said cryptocurrency theft had become one of North Korea's important channels for obtaining funds for regime maintenance and weapons development.

Kim Yo Jong said North Korea had "issues to reconsider" in light of what she described as Washington's hostile attitude, without providing further details.