Trump Says U.S. Would Contact North Korea If Binance Hack Is Confirmed

President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States would communicate with North Korea if it confirms the country’s role in the Binance security incident. That makes any U.S. contact conditional on confirming who carried out the breach.

The FBI has attributed the Oct. 29 incident to North Korea, designated the malicious cyber activity “TraderTraitor” and said the crypto assets involved were worth more than $6 billion. Trump’s statement followed the FBI’s public attribution, but it did not treat that finding as sufficient confirmation for contact.

Trump has repeatedly said that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un get along well. He has also argued that maintaining positive relations with leaders of nuclear-armed countries is wise. His first-term diplomacy included summits with Kim, and he has favored keeping communication channels open with nuclear-armed states during his second term.

The United States has long accused North Korean hackers of using cybercrime proceeds to support weapons programs.