Pyongyang proposes joint probe with US on Sony hack

North Korea has proposed a joint investigation with the United States into the recent hacking of American Sony Pictures to prove that Pyongyang had nothing to do with the cyberattack.

An unnamed North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement on Saturday that Pyongyang can prove it is not responsible for the hacking, which the US has already blamed on the Asian country.

The spokesman further warned of “serious” consequences if Washington refuses to accept the proposed inquiry and continues to accuse North Korea of being behind the hacking.

In a statement released on Friday, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it possessed evidence that Pyongyang was behind the hacking.

The North Korean spokesman further said, “The US should bear in mind that it will face serious consequences in case it rejects our proposal for joint investigation and presses for what it called countermeasures while finding fault with” North Korea.

The hack, which has been described as the most devastating cyber attack on a US business, has paralyzed Sony Pictures and led to the cancelation of the screening of a controversial movie, The Interview, which depicts a fictional US assassination plot against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The hackers of Sony Pictures, who called themselves “Guardians of Peace,” warned people not to see the movie.

They also threatened 9/11-style terrorist attacks on the US movie theaters screening The Interview.