Updated 7.50pm
NORTH KOREA HAS called for a joint investigation with the United States into a crippling cyber attack on Sony Pictures - claiming it has means to prove Pyongyang had nothing to do with it.
The proposal comes after US President Barack Obama warned North Korea that it would face retaliation for the cyber attack over an irreverent film comedy that infuriated Pyongyang.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a spokesman for the North’s foreign ministry, as saying:
As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident.
“Without resorting to such tortures as were used by the US CIA, we have means to prove that this incident has nothing to do with us.”
Threats
Threats issued after the November attack prompted the movie giant to cancel the Christmas Day release of “The Interview”, a madcap satire about a CIA plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
Addressing reporters after the FBI said Pyongyang was to blame, Obama said Washington would never bow to “some dictator”.
North Korea’s UN mission denied involvement in the attack.
Pyongyang warned the US of “grave consequences” if the proposal for the joint investigation was rejected.
“We will never tolerate anyone who insults our highest authority. But in case we have to retaliate, we would not carry out terrorist attacks on innocent viewers at movie theatres but stage frontal attacks on those who are responsible for the hostile activities against the DPRK (North Korea) and their headquarters,” the North’s foreign ministry spokesman said.
“The United States must bear it mind that grave consequences would follow if it rejects our proposal and continues blabbering about so-called retaliations against us”, he added.
First published 12pm
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