North Korea denies cyber attack on South Korean bank

NORTH Korea's defense ministry denied today it carried out a cyber attack on one of South Korea's largest banks, calling allegations that it was behind last month's hacking "absurd" and a "farce."

NORTH Korea's defense ministry denied today it carried out a cyber attack on one of South Korea's largest banks, calling allegations that it was behind last month's hacking "absurd" and a "farce."

South Korean prosecutors say the North brought down the computer system of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, or Nonghyup, by hacking into an official's laptop and operating it remotely as a "zombie computer."

In a statement to the official Korean Central News Agency, the North said Seoul's accusation was "just absurd argument based on unreasonable ground," and an "anachronistic anti-DPRK [North Korea] farce and charade."

The attack on Nonghyup, which has about 5,000 branches, left thousands of customers unable to access their money for three days, prompting South Korea to demand its rival stop "reckless cyber-terrorism."