A Chinese soldier stands guard outside the North Korean embassy in Beijing. North Korea denied any ties to a cyberattack that Seoul says was launched from an IP address in Shenyang, China. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

SEOUL, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- North Korea is taking a stand against accusations the country has been launching cyberattacks against South Korea's defense ministry.

Pyongyang's propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri denounced charges the North has been hacking the South in a statement that ran under the headline, "North Korea hacking?! Even a stone image of the Buddha would laugh," on Friday, South Korean news service News 1 reported.


The article claimed the South Korean "puppet conservative party periodically throws a tantrum during periods of crisis by raising North Korean hacking theories," adding the move is a "scheme of lunacy."

On Monday a South Korean source said the government had identified the source of North Korea cyberattacks that targeted the military's intranet.

The Internet Protocol address linked to the attacks was traced to a location in Shenyang, China, and a malicious code associated with the address was similar to the one used in North Korean cyberattacks against the South, the source had said.

On Friday North Korea repudiated the claim while asking rhetorically, "If we are responsible for the hacking, why would we openly use the IP address that the puppet [South Korean] faction is obsessed about?" while adding, "This is far beyond the realm of common sense."

Pyongyang also said Seoul was manipulating public opinion by "fabricating" hacking cases in response to the "great success" of its hydrogen bomb test and the launch of an earth observation satellite.

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South Korea's spy agency, however, has said the odds are low North Korea conducted a hydrogen bomb test on Jan. 6, judging by the size of the quake near the Punggye-ri test site.

North Korea also said charges against the North were being used to distract from the "political crisis" that culminated in the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Friday.

South Korea's national assembly voted 234 to 56 to impeach the president who has been known for her tough stance against North Korea provocations.