North Korea has accused the U.S. of disrupting its Internet service and has renewed a call to participate in a joint investigation into claims that it hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment.

[UPDATE: English recording of Voice of Korea added below.]

The country’s websites were offline for more than nine hours on December 22 after an apparent denial of service attack.

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, the country’s National Defence Commission laid blame for the Internet problem at the feet of the U.S., saying the country “started disturbing the internet operation of major media of the DPRK.”

Earlier in the week, the U.S. State Department denied knowledge of the disruption. Network security companies have speculated the attack was probably the result of at least on hacker collective. Two such groups claimed responsibility.

In its latest statement, the NDC repeated its call for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to publish evidence that it hacked Sony Pictures, or accept its part in a joint investigation.

“If the U.S. is to persistently insist that the hacking attack was made by the DPRK, the U.S. should produce evidence without fail, though belatedly,” it said. “If the U.S. cannot open to public evidence due to ‘protection of sensitive information source’ as expressed by the FBI, the U.S. may conduct a joint investigation with the DPRK in camera.”

It also blamed U.S. President Obama for pressuring Sony Pictures into releasing “The Interview.” The movie, which follows two reporters on a plot to kill Kim Jong Un, was earlier canceled from release following the hacks. Sony released it online on December 24 and in independent movie theaters on December 25.

Here’s the statement as broadcast on Voice of Korea in English:

Here’s the full statement:

U.S. Can Never Justify Screening and Distribution of Reactionary Movie: Policy Department of NDC of DPRK

Pyongyang, December 27 (KCNA) — The spokesman for the Policy Department of the National Defence Commission (NDC) of the DPRK Saturday issued a statement denouncing the U.S. for screening even dishonest and reactionary movie hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK and agitating terrorism while groundlessly linking the unheard-of hacking at the Sony Pictures Entertainment to the DPRK.
The statement said that much scared at the hacking attack of justice made by the “guardians of peace”, the Sony Pictures Entertainment hastily suspended the screening of the above-said movie. But at the zealous prodding of the U.S. administration and wicked conservative forces, it again buckled down to distributing the movie, failing to guess a miserable fate to be faced by it in the future, it added:
U.S. President Obama is the chief culprit who forced the Sony Pictures Entertainment to “indiscriminately distribute” the movie and took the lead in appeasing and blackmailing cinema houses and theatres in the U.S. mainland to distribute the movie.
Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest. When the Sony Pictures Entertainment made public a statement that it would give up the distribution of the movie, frightened by the merciless retaliatory strike, Obama urged it to unconditionally screen the movie, claiming that the disgrace suffered by Sony Pictures Entertainment means sorrow of the U.S., why did it issue such a statement as holding a white flag without informing the president of it?, it is the violation of the freedom of expression and a threat to the security of the U.S. and it is necessary to make symmetric counteraction, considering the hacking attack was made by “north Korea”, though it is not clear who was behind it, the statement said, and went on:
Dancing to the tune of Obama’s outbursts, Kerry, McCain, Bolton and other wicked conservative politicians zealously prodded the Sony Pictures Entertainment into distributing the movie, blustering who else but “north Korea” caused property losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars to it.
If the U.S. is to persistently insist that the hacking attack was made by the DPRK, the U.S. should produce evidence without fail, though belatedly.
If the U.S. cannot open to public evidence due to “protection of sensitive information source” as expressed by the FBI, the U.S. may conduct a joint investigation with the DPRK in camera.
However, the U.S. is behaving recklessly, trumpeting about “symmetric counteraction”, “combination of invisible sanctions and visible sanctions” and “re-designation of sponsor of terrorism” while linking the hacking attack with the DPRK without clear evidence and sure ground.
In actuality, the U.S., a big country, started disturbing the internet operation of major media of the DPRK, not knowing shame like children playing a tag.
We had already warned the U.S. not act like beating air after being hit hard by others.
Of course, we do not expect the gangsters to pay heed to our warnings.
When the public is becoming increasingly vocal about the hacking attack on the DPRK media this time, the U.S. feigned ignorance, saying that they should ask “north Korea” and the U.S. neither admits nor denies.
The prevailing situation clearly shows that the U.S. is adding to its crimes by screening the movie “The Interview.”
With no rhetoric can the U.S. justify the screening and distribution of the movie.
This is because “The Interview” is an illegal, dishonest and reactionary movie quite contrary to the UN Charter, which regards respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs and protection of human rights as a legal keynote, and international laws.
It is also because it is a new politically-motivated provocation made by the U.S., pursuant to its hostile policy toward the DPRK as it is a movie for agitating terrorism produced with high-ranking politicians of the U.S. administration involved.
This is the reason why the world is branding “The Interview” as a typical product of the U.S. anachronistic act of challenging not only the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK but also human justice and conscience and encroaching upon peace and security.
The anti-U.S. sacred war at present precisely means protecting justice and peace.
If the U.S. persists in American-style arrogant, high-handed and gangster-like arbitrary practices despite the repeated warnings of the DPRK, the U.S. should bear in mind that its failed political affairs will face inescapable deadly blows. -0-