DOJ announces charges against North Korean hacker for Sony, Wannacry cyberattacks

The Justice Ministry on Thursday announced charges against a North Korean national accused by US authorities of being behind the massive hacking of Sony in 2014 and the Wannacry bombing. 39, last year.

Park Jin Hyok is identified as an alleged North Korean programmer, accused of being "a member of a state-sponsored computer hacking organization and responsible for some of the most expensive computer intrusions in history," according to a poster published Thursday.

These attacks include the piracy of Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Wannacry attack and "a series of attacks on banks around the world who have collectively tried to steal more than a billion dollars," according to the FBI.

The authorities accused Park of conspiring to commit computer fraud and a conspiracy charge to commit computer fraud (computer intrusion).

Getty Images, FILE

On June 8, a federal warrant was issued for his arrest.

Park, also known as Pak Jin Hek and Jin Hyok Park, reportedly worked with an affiliate of the North Korean government, according to the FBI.

"Park has allegedly been involved in a large criminal conspiracy by a group of hackers employed by a company run by the North Korean government.Chosun Expo Joint Venture – Joint Venture, also known as Korea Expo Joint Venture – was affiliated with Lab 110, one of the hacking organizations of the North Korean government, "reads the poster.

The US Treasury Department also approved Thursday the creation of Park and the company for which he would have worked at the time, the joint venture Chosun Expo.

"We will not allow North Korea to undermine global cybersecurity to advance its interests and generate illicit revenues in violation of our sanctions," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "The United States has pledged to hold the regime accountable for its cyber-attacks and other destabilizing crimes and activities."

The Treasury Department said Park would have operated in North Korea, China and elsewhere "to perpetrate these malicious activities".

"North Korea has shown a disruptive and harmful model of cyberactivity that does not match the growing consensus on what constitutes responsible state behavior in cyberspace," the department said in a statement. "Our policy is to hold North Korea accountable and to demonstrate to the regime that its provocative and irresponsible actions have a cost."

In 2014, hackers attacked Sony Pictures Entertainment, publishing a slew of emails and stealing personal data from corporate executives.

The pirates also threatened to attack the theaters planning "The Interview," a fictional comedy about two Americans who are being asked to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Release date of Christmas day.

Last year, Wannacry's cyber attack paralyzed computers around the world.

It was detected for the first time in Europe on May 12, 2017 and, on May 15, the attack reached more than 200,000 hospitals, companies, government agencies and other organizations in 150 countries. In December, the White House accused North Korea of ​​the attack.

While US officials have long said that North Korea was responsible for the two incidents, the Justice Department officially announced the charges against Park at a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The Justice Department said Park is "one of the many government-backed people suspected of being involved."

Earlier Thursday, President Donald Trump congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Twitter.

Kim Jong Un from North Korea proclaims "unwavering faith in President Trump." Thanks to President Kim, we will do it together! "Trump tweeted.

ABC News & Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.

This is a story in development. Check back for updates.