North Korea Accuses U.S. of Disruptions to Its Internet

SEOUL, South Korea —  North Korea lashed out at the United States on Saturday, blaming it for disruptions that cut off the nation’s already limited connections to the Internet, while once again rejecting American accusations that it was behind the hacking of Sony Pictures.

The statement, carried by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, also called President Obama a “monkey” for urging the film studio to release “The Interview,” a comedy depicting the assassination of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. Sony had canceled the movie’s release for fear of further attacks, but then reversed itself after Mr. Obama criticized it for capitulating to North Korean pressure.

The statement by the National Defense Commission, which is led by Mr. Kim and is the country’s most powerful governing body, is the North’s first response to the intermittent disruptions that have crippled its tenuous connection to cyberspace since Monday. The connectivity problems, which at one point appeared to sever North Korea completely from the Internet, started days after Mr. Obama vowed to retaliate for the damaging attack on the Sony film studio.

Speaking last week, Mr. Obama said he held the North responsible for the hacking of Sony, which took place just before the studio was to release “The Interview.” The attackers stole confidential emails, salary information and unreleased movies, which they then posted online.

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