North Korea said Wednesday that dialogue with the United States remains an option for peace, but it would not be necessary for its own interest. The statement from Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, came after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accused Pyongyang of involvement in a major cryptocurrency theft from Binance.
Kim Yo-jong stated that Washington’s continued “hostile signal” was compelling North Korea to reconsider the “true nature” of the US. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s official news agency, she said, “The choice for peace includes dialogue of course, but this is not surely equated with national interests for us.”
Allegations of Cryptocurrency Theft and Pyongyang’s Rebuttal
The FBI announced on October 31, 2026, that North Korean hacker group ‘Tradertraitor’ was behind the theft of more than $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, on October 29, 2026. Binance confirmed a security incident on October 30, 2026, and temporarily suspended withdrawals across several networks. Binance announced the resumption of withdrawals from the Bitcoin network on October 31, 2026, and stated it would compensate all losses from its SAFU fund and company funds.
Kim Yo-jong condemned the FBI’s accusation as a “grave political provocation” against North Korea. She claimed that the “cryptocurrency hacking case” was merely the “tip of iceberg that shows the essence of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK,” referring to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Continued Hostile Policy and North Korea’s Warning
Kim Yo-jong stated that the US abandoning its hostile policy toward Pyongyang is a major premise and key to solving all problems. She added that North Korea has no reason to engage in talks with the US unless that happens, stating, “It is our clear stand that we have no need to sit face to face with such unreliable and hostile persons who refuse to abandon their policy of confrontation.”
She further warned that Pyongyang would respond to what it views as continued US hostility, saying, “In the present reality when new records are being set in the implementation of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK, it is natural that new records should be created in our reflective counteraction.” She did not specify what counteractions Pyongyang would take.
Kim also pointed to a recent trilateral meeting between the top diplomats of South Korea, the US, and Japan—Cho Hyun, Marco Rubio, and Toshimitsu Motegi, respectively—where they reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea. This meeting took place on October 30, 2026, on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Atlanta. She also cited various joint military drills as other examples of US hostility.
In other news, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on November 3, 2026, that Canada and the US have made progress on trade talks, with US President Donald Trump having stated on November 1, 2026, that his administration was nearing a trade agreement with Canada.
What happens next
Canadian and US negotiators are expected to work on a trade deal in the coming weeks. The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is scheduled for November 18-19, 2026, in Shenzhen, China, where a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is speculated.
