North Korea on Sunday dismissed US allegations that it engages in cybercrime to earn illegal income, calling the claims baseless slander. Pyongyang’s foreign ministry, through a statement published by state news agency KCNA, accused Washington of spreading false information and fabricating cyber threats to damage the country’s image for political purposes.

The United States has long accused North Korea of expanding its cyberwarfare program, allegedly stealing billions of dollars in virtual assets over recent years. The US Department of Justice recently sentenced two American citizens for helping North Koreans secure remote IT jobs at US companies, generating illicit funds for Pyongyang’s weapons programs. Investigations found that more than a hundred American firms, including Fortune 500 companies and a defense contractor, were targeted.

According to UN findings, North Korean cyberattacks since 2017 have stolen over $3 billion in cryptocurrency, reportedly used to finance weapons development. Cybersecurity analysts also reported attempted attacks on widely used software packages linked to North Korean hackers.