DOJ to announce charges against North Korean in Sony hack: reports

by Jacqueline Thomsen - 09/06/18 10:09 AM ET

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will announce charges against at least one North Korean national for the 2014 Sony hack, according to multiple media reports.

ABC News reported Thursday that charges will be brought against North Korean nationals for the Sony hack, as well as last year’s massive “WannaCry” malware attack.

The Washington Post reported that North Korean government spy Pak Jin Hyok will be charged in the Sony cyberattack. He is reportedly tied to the Lazarus Group, which is in turn linked to the WannaCry malware.

{mosads}A DOJ official confirmed to The Hill that the agency will hold a media background information session on North Korea and cyber later Thursday.

The reports come just hours after President Trump touted the U.S.’s relations with North Korea in a tweet early Thursday.

Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims “unwavering faith in President Trump.” Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2018

The Treasury Department will also reportedly announce sanctions against North Korean individuals tied to the cyber acts.

Former President Obama had ordered sanctions against the country over the attack on Sony. North Korean hackers had stolen and released emails and infamously pressured the studio to pull the theatrical release of the satirical movie “The Interview,” which depicted the eventual assassination of a North Korean leader.

The Trump White House also announced last year that it believed North Korea was responsible for the WannaCry attack, which spread rapidly through hundreds of thousands of devices in 150 countries in one week last May.

Then-White House cybersecurity czar Tom Bossert announced during a press conference in December that the U.S. agreed with several other countries’ assessments that North Korea was behind the attack. Bossert left the White House earlier this year after national security adviser John Bolton joined the Trump administration.

“I hope they stop acting badly online,” Bossert said at the time. “If they don’t, this president will act on behalf of the United States.”

North Korea has denied the allegations.

Improving relations with North Korea has been a focus for the Trump White House. Trump met with leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year in a historic summit, and has sought to secure a full commitment from the country to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Tags Donald Trump North Korea Sony hack WannaCry