North Korea denies responsibility for the the massive hack that forced Sony Pictures to shut down its computer system in late November, but called it a "righteous deed," The New York Times reports, quoting a spokesman of the country's National Defense Commission.
Hackers leaked employee salary and social security information, as well the video files for five upcoming movies — releasing an estimated 11 terabytes of data.
Although the spokesperson said North Korea didn't know "for what wrongdoings [Sony] became the target of the attack," he speculated that it "might be a righteous deed of the supporters and sympathizers" of the country who want to help "put an end to US imperialism."
North Korea also called out the Sony-produced movie "The Interview," which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco plotting to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The country had previously called the movie an "act of war" and in this new statement acknowledges it as "a film abetting a terrorist act while hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership" of North Korea.
The movie will be released in the US on December 25, and in June, North Korea threatened "merciless counter-measures" if the movie came out.
Security experts call the enormous Sony hack "an unparalleled and well planned crime, carried out by an organized group."
The US should "know that there are a great number of supporters and sympathizers with [North Korea] all over the world" and that "the righteous reaction will get stronger to smash the evil doings," the statement continued, according to The Wall Street Journal.
