N. Korea attacks reported U.S. preparations for cyberattacks

SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday denounced reported U.S. preparations for possible cyberattacks against the communist nation, saying it is ready and willing to respond to "any type of warfare."

Earlier this month, U.S. media outlet Foreign Policy reported that for the past six months, Washington has been laying the groundwork in countries including South Korea and Japan for possible cyberattacks on the North. The process involved installing fiber cables as bridges into the region and setting up remote bases and listening posts.

"The United States must discard its silly dream of realizing its ambitions for invasion through cyberattacks on us," the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary.

"As (we) have everything we need, and we are prepared, we can respond to any type of warfare that the U.S. wants," it added.

The newspaper criticized the reported preparations for cyberattacks as an "unacceptable act of terrorism and shameless provocation."

"The U.S. is ramping up military buildup and provocations as it exposes its displeasure over the budding mood of North-South reconciliation, which was caused by our participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics," the newspaper said.

"It is needless to say that such a move is a deliberate scheme for provocations to bring the mood for improvement in North-South relations and peace back to a phase of confrontation and war," it added.

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