North Korea says it can prove it wasn't behind Sony hack

© Reuters/KCNA

Kim Jong Un

North Korea has proposed a joint investigation with the United States into the hack attack against Sony Pictures, according to the state news agency, KCNA.

The offer comes as the FBI formally accused Pyongyang of the attack on Friday and US President Barack Obama promised to "respond proportionally" to the online breach.

North Korea says it can prove it has nothing to do with the cyberattack on Sony, the KCNA news release said.

© Sony Pictures

The statement by Pyongyang also warns of "" if Washington refuses to cooperate in the investigation of the attack and continues to accuse North Korea.

Sony's network was hacked in November, with masses of private data, including employees' emails, being made public.

The attack was followed by threats against movie theaters that planned to show "," a comedy in which the US intelligence seeks to kill North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. Sony eventually refused to release the film.

Although North Korea has from the start denied being involved in the hacking and the threats, it still praised the cyberattack as a "."

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A source in the White House recently told the Wall Street Journal that the US was considering redesignating North Korea as a state sponsor of terror. The country had spent 20 years on the terror black list before being taken off it in 2008 by George W. Bush.

Nuclear boost to counter 'US hostile policy'

It's not only the allegations of masterminding the Sony hacking that are vexing Pyongyang. The recent UN General Assembly vote in favour of referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity has been seen by the hermit state as an invasion attempt by the US.

North Korea warned on Saturday it would respond by boosting its nuclear power capability.

"," the North's foreign ministry spokesman said on KCNA, as cited by Reuters.

"," the spokesman said in a statement.

North Korea has so far carried out three nuclear tests, the latest one nearly two years ago. Pyongyang has claimed the nuclear activity is purely for self-defense.

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