Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in North Korea’s Workers’ Party and the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, issued another statement through the Korean Central News Agency on Nov. 4 denying any North Korean involvement in the Binance hack and criticizing the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for attributing the case to Pyongyang.
The incident, which the source said involved about $6.34 billion in crypto assets, has grown from a major exchange security breach into a fresh point of diplomatic friction between the United States and North Korea.
Second statement in two days
According to Yonhap News Agency and CNA reports dated Nov. 4, Kim responded publicly again after making her first remarks on Nov. 2. She said North Korea does not view the Binance case as an accidental or isolated event, but as part of what she described as Washington’s long-running hostile policy.
Kim said the United States was trying to use the case to secure political and strategic gains, adding that such moves were producing political blowback.
In her earlier statement, she had called the FBI’s accusation a 「serious political provocation」 and denied any connection between North Korea and the incident, while accusing Washington of trying to damage the country’s international image through crypto crime allegations.
Her latest political response, however, did not present new technical evidence that could be independently verified, nor did it by itself overturn the attribution already published by the FBI.
Hack dispute tied directly to U.S.-North Korea relations
Kim also used the statement to address broader ties between Pyongyang and Washington. She repeated that any solution to issues between the two sides depends on the United States abandoning what North Korea calls its hostile policy.
She said Pyongyang had no reason to sit down for talks if Washington continued to call for dialogue while also pressing ahead with military exercises, strengthening military alliances, and maintaining pressure on North Korea.
Kim added that dialogue can be one option for preserving peace, but that does not mean talks automatically serve North Korea’s national interests. She also criticized joint U.S.-South Korea military drills and the continued policy of the United States and its allies demanding denuclearization from North Korea.
Her comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump had previously said he hoped to meet Kim Jong Un again. So far, though, no new summit arrangement has been announced, and North Korea has not formally declared that dialogue channels are permanently closed.
FBI points to TraderTraitor
Kim’s denial stands in sharp contrast to the findings released by U.S. law enforcement.
On Oct. 31, the FBI said the Oct. 29 theft of more than $6 billion in crypto assets from Binance was attributable to TraderTraitor, a cyber activity the source described as linked to North Korea.
The FBI said the attackers were converting part of the stolen assets into ETH and could move funds through decentralized finance, or DeFi, services and instant swap platforms. U.S. authorities also disclosed multiple related on-chain addresses and called on crypto firms to help block suspicious fund flows.
Binance outlines the attack path
Binance said in a preliminary investigation report released on Nov. 3 that the attackers had been working their way into the wallet development team since June.
According to the exchange, the intrusion involved tampered developer tools, fake recruiting interviews, and an internal AI tool that was exploited. The attackers ultimately obtained unauthorized access to transaction signing services.
With Kim issuing two denials in quick succession, the Binance hack is no longer only a crypto industry security story. It has also become a new flashpoint in the exchange of accusations between Washington and Pyongyang.
For the United States, the case has already been attributed to a North Korea-linked operation and authorities are still asking the crypto sector to help trace the stolen assets. For North Korea, Kim has framed the allegations as evidence of continued U.S. hostility. The final criminal responsibility, asset recovery process, and any diplomatic fallout remain subject to further investigation and later policy moves.
