North Korea launched multiple missiles toward the sea on Wednesday, South Korea’s military reported, following Pyongyang's denouncement of accusations that its hackers were behind a significant cryptocurrency heist.
Hours before the missile launches, Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed an FBI announcement attributing the Binance hack to North Korean actors. She characterized the accusation as an "extension of Washington’s invariable hostile policy toward" Pyongyang and stated that North Korea had no interest in resuming dialogue with what it called "unreliable and hostile persons."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the detection of several missiles fired into the country's eastern waters, adding that both South Korean and U.S. authorities were analyzing the specifics of the launches. South Korea stated it remains prepared to counter any potential provocations from the North.
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, reported last week that hackers had stolen over $6 billion, potentially marking the largest crypto heist on record. The FBI subsequently identified the North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor as responsible for the attack, linking it to a previous $1.5 billion hack of the Bybit exchange.
Analysts suggest North Korea's actions, including accelerated weapons testing in recent months, are aimed at increasing its leverage in potential diplomatic negotiations with the United States. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to restore diplomatic engagement with Kim Jong Un.
Recent North Korean activities also include the unveiling of plans for a large warship construction. State media reported that Kim Jong Un visited a shipyard and expressed satisfaction with a vessel under construction, described as "incomparably huge" compared to existing destroyers. North Korea previously stated its intention to build a 10,000-ton strategic guided missile cruiser.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have also been heightened by recent border incidents, including mine blasts in September that injured South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused Pyongyang of burying the mines, a charge North Korea denies, warning of retaliation if provoked. Pyongyang has also threatened to resume propaganda broadcasts and deploy new weapons systems along the border.