The NDC named US President Barack Obama "the chief culprit" for releasing "The Interview", saying he "forced … Sony Pictures Entertainment to 'indiscriminately distribute' the movie." NDC went as far as to say that "Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest," as quoted by KCNA.
"The Interview", a controversial comedy about a fictional assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has been at the center of an international hacking scandal. On November 24, hackers calling themselves "Guardians of Peace" launched an attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, stealing terabytes of sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, emails and unreleased movies. The attack took place several days before the scheduled premiere of "The Interview".
It has been widely speculated that North Korea was behind the attack. On December 19, the FBI officially placed the blame for the attack on North Korea. A spokesman for the policy department of the NDC reiterated that such claims are groundless. North Korea urged the US to provide proof, if any exists, that Pyongyang orchestrated the hack, according to KCNA. It also offered to jointly probe the attack.
Meanwhile, "The Interview" has made over $1 million since its released, according to Reuters.
