US insists North Korea must take Sony hack blame

The US has rejected North Korea's claim that it was not responsible for a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures.

North Korea strongly denies carrying out the attack and invited the US to take part in a joint investigation.

A senior US security official said North Korea should instead "admit culpability and compensate Sony".

North Korea strongly objects to Sony Pictures' satirical film, The Interview, which portrays the fictional killing of its leader, Kim Jong-Un.

After the attack and threats, Sony cancelled the Christmas Day release of the film.

Responding to anonymous threats against cinemas, Sony said it was considering releasing it "on a different platform".

The FBI said on Friday that North Korea had carried out last month's cyber-attack, in which script details and private emails were leaked.

The US defended its findings on Saturday, with US National Security spokesman Mark Stroh saying: "We are confident the North Korean government is responsible for this destructive attack."

"If the North Korean government wants to help, they can admit their culpability and compensate Sony for the damages this attack caused," he said.

On Saturday, the North Korean foreign ministry said: "As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident."

"We have means to prove that this incident has nothing to do with us."

The statement said there would be "grave consequences" if the Americans rejected their inquiry proposal.

The Interview features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with Mr Kim. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him.

The film's cancelled release drew criticism in Hollywood, with some calling it an attack on the freedom of expression.

Sony says it made the decision after most US cinemas chose not to screen the film, following the threats.