North Korea's foreign ministry on Sunday rejected ​U.S. accusations that Pyongyang poses a cyber threat, calling ‌them a fabrication aimed at justifying Washington's longstanding hostile policy, state media KCNA said.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said the United States ​was spreading false information about a "non‑existent 'cyber threat'" from North ​Korea for political purposes, describing the claims as "nothing ⁠but an absurd slander to tarnish the image of ​our country."

The spokesperson warned that Pyongyang would actively take all ​necessary measures for defending the interests of the state and protecting the rights and interests of its citizens in cyberspace, KCNA said.

U.S. ​officials have repeatedly accused North Korea of state-sponsored cyber activity, ​including hacking, cryptocurrency theft and networks of overseas IT workers used to ‌generate ⁠revenue for its weapons programmes.

In March, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned six individuals and two entities linked to North Korean IT worker operations, saying they helped channel illicit earnings through ​digital assets. ​U.S. authorities said ⁠the schemes remain ongoing.

The Treasury and State Department imposed earlier sanctions in July on ​North Korean cyber operatives and foreign facilitators, ​saying Pyongyang ⁠deploys thousands of IT workers abroad and uses cyber-enabled theft to fund missile and nuclear development.

The U.S. Justice Department and ⁠FBI ​have also warned that North Korean ​cyber groups pose a continuing threat to governments, businesses and critical infrastructure ​worldwide.

- Reuters