North Korea fired multiple missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, hours after Pyongyang ruled out resuming talks with Washington over accusations that North Korean hackers were behind a major cryptocurrency theft from Binance.The launches came amid renewed tensions between the two countries, with North Korea accusing the US of pursuing a hostile policy and saying it had no reason to engage in dialogue with Washington.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had detected several missiles being fired towards North Korea’s eastern waters.South Korean and US authorities were analysing details of the launches, it said, adding that Seoul remained prepared to respond to any potential provocations under its alliance with Washington.
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North Korea rejects US accusations over Binance hack
The missile launches followed North Korea’s denial of involvement in the hacking of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The exchange said on Friday that hackers had stolen more than $6 billion, in what appeared to be the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.The FBI subsequently attributed the attack to North Korean hackers, identifying the hacking group as TraderTraitor. The group was also held responsible for a $1.5 billion hack of cryptocurrency exchange Bybit last year.Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official, issued a statement on Wednesday rejecting the FBI’s allegations and describing the announcement as “an extension of Washington’s invariable hostile policy toward” North Korea.Pyongyang dismissed the accusation as “a trite provocation”.“It is our clear stand that we have no need to sit face to face with such unreliable and hostile persons,” Kim Yo Jong said. “The choice for peace includes dialogue of course, but this is not surely equated with national interests for us.”She also ruled out dialogue with Washington until the US abandoned what she described as its hostile policy towards North Korea.
Weapons tests continue amid uncertainty over US talks
North Korea has stepped up its weapons testing in recent months, following Trump’s expressed interest in restoring diplomacy with Kim Jong Un. Observers cited by the news agency AP said Pyongyang was likely seeking to pressure Washington into dropping its hostile policy and offering concessions before any resumption of talks.Recent North Korean weapons tests have included a submarine-launched ballistic missile, hypersonic missiles, attack drones and cluster bombs designed to be carried by ballistic missiles.Pyongyang said on Tuesday that it had tested a new cluster warhead for strategic cruise missiles a day earlier. It claimed the weapon could destroy an area of five to six hectares (12 to 15 acres) with “high-density power”.North Korea had also conducted a series of missile tests this year, including one launch in which a missile travelled more than 900 km. Wednesday’s launch appeared to be its fourth missile test in the past month.Lee Choon-geun, a missile expert and board member at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, said the frequent tests could indicate that North Korea was preparing for mass production and deployment of missiles, potentially including weapons for export to Russia.“Before mass production and deployment, you typically need many tests,” Lee said. “Or they may be looking to export missiles in bulk to Russia, in which case they would need to run a lot of tests before shipping.”
Tensions rise along inter-Korean border
Tensions between North and South Korea have also increased following mine explosions near their shared border in September that injured three South Korean soldiers.Seoul accused Pyongyang of planting the mines south of the military demarcation line and demanded an apology. North Korea denied responsibility and warned of retaliation if provoked.Pyongyang later threatened to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts and deploy additional weapons systems along the border.The latest missile launches also followed a report in North Korean state media that Kim Jong Un had visited a naval shipyard where a destroyer was being built and stressed the importance of developing a powerful naval force.
