N. Korea says dialogue with U.S. an option but not a must for national interest

North Korea expressed on Wednesday the possibility of engaging in dialogue with the United States to maintain peace, yet emphasized that such communication would not be essential for its national interests. Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, delivered these comments, stating that the persistent hostile actions from Washington had prompted the regime to reassess the genuine intentions of the U.S. In a statement released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim stated, "The choice for peace includes dialogue, of course, but this is not surely equated with national interests for us."

Her remarks followed her rejection of the FBI's conclusions that North Korea was responsible for a theft of over $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Kim had previously labeled the allegation as a "grave political provocation" against the North. She further dismissed the so-called "cryptocurrency hacking case by the DPRK" as inconsequential.