‘Absurd rhetoric and nothing new’: Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong responds to FBI linking North Korea to Binance heist

North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong denied US claims that Pyongyang-backed hackers were behind a $6 billion Binance cryptocurrency theft. The FBI has attributed the heist to North Korea. Investigators suspect hackers used a fake recruitment process to compromise a Binance engineer.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has rejected the US allegations that cyber criminals linked to Pyongyang were behind the massive heist of crypto exchange Binance. According to state news agency KCNA, Kim Yo Jong said the US allegations proved Washington remained hostile towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Pyongyang has not responded to US President Donald Trump's overtures, made earlier this year, to resume summit diplomacy. In the wake of the US allegations, Kim Yo Jong said ​North Korea had "issues to reconsider" over what she called US hostility.

'FBI trying to brand DPRK cyber criminal state'

"The FBI is trying to brand the DPRK as a 'cyber criminal state,' claiming that it obtained information that a hacking organization 'supported' by the DPRK was involved in the incident," KCNA quoted ​Kim Yo Jong as saying.

"But the US assertion is absurd rhetoric and nothing new," said Kim, a ruling party official.

“It is a grave political provocation against the DPRK that the US misleads international public opinion as if all the cyber crimes in different parts of the world are our deeds.”

What FBI said

The FBI said on Saturday that North Korea was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion in virtual assets from Binance. Malicious actors from North Korea were observed laundering the stolen assets by converting them into Ethereum, said the FBI, adding that it expects "further laundering stages" for the stolen digital assets.

How a job interview cost Binance $6 billion

According to an initial assessment by Binance hackers gained access to the crypto exchange’s systems through an engineer who was contacted on a job-hunting platform by a person posing as a "project director".

After the initial HR round, the Binance engineer, who was using his work laptop, had his second interview with the supposed CEO of the company. During the interview, the Binance employee was asked to download "an assignment" as part of the job recruitment process. Investigators believe that the "assignment" contained malicious code that allowed hackers to build out the attack that led to the theft of over $6 billion worth of crypto currencies.

North Korea's links to cryptocurrency thefts

This is not the first time North Korea has come under the scanner for high-profile cryptocurrency thefts, which analysts say is a key source of funds for its weapons programmes.

According to estimates ​by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, North Korea has stolen cryptocurrency worth $7.6 billion this year alone.

Analytics firm Chainalysis estimated 89% of crypto hack losses in 2026 were linked to North Korea, up from 15% in 2021. It said the average reported loss per hack rose from $50.65 million ​in 2021 to $185.65 million in 2026.

About the Author

Bobins loves telling the human side of all stories, from the intersection of geopolitics, international relations, and conflicts around the world. In his nearly one-and-a-half-decade career as a journalist, Bobins has covered South Asia, the Middle East, and North America, from elections to mass protests and conflicts. <br> Bobins has also done extensive reporting on environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability, focusing on solutions and people working to make the planet a better place to live. <br> In 2018, Bobins was awarded by Times Internet for the impact of his story on Delhi tree cuttings. Bobins also loves telling the stories of Indian startups and the journey of their founders. <br> Total Years of Experience: 14 <br> Years of experience at LM: Bobins has been a part of Live Mint since February 2026 <br> Interests: When he is not tracking conflicts, Bobins loves to cook, travel across India, click photos, and watch documentaries on history. Past Experience: Before joining Live Mint, Bobins worked with The Indian Express, where he led the Global Breaking News coverage, Indiatimes, where he led the news team, covering everything trending, ANI, where the focus of his coverage was South Asia, and NBS News. <br> Current Role: Bobins is currently working as an Assistant Editor at Live Mint.