PYONGYANG, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday condemned U.S. judicial authorities for placing its citizens on a wanted list over alleged "cybercrimes," state media said Friday.

"The recent incident is an absurd smear campaign and grave violation of sovereignty aimed at tarnishing the image of our state, as it is a continuation of the hostile move of the successive U.S. administrations that have talked much about the non-existent 'cyber threat' from the DPRK," the official Korean Central News Agency said, quoting a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

"The DPRK Foreign Ministry expresses serious concern over the U.S. judicial authorities' provocation which is threatening and encroaching on the security, rights and interests of our citizens by fabricating the groundless 'cyber' drama, and strongly denounces and rejects it," the spokesperson said, adding that the real threat of creating international cyberspace instability comes not from the DPRK but from the United States.

The DPRK has the right to take a proper and proportionate countermeasure to thoroughly protect the security and rights of its citizens from the judicial enforcement for a sinister political purpose, according to the spokesperson.

The country will never tolerate any hostile act of the United States to encroach upon the DPRK sovereignty through groundless slander and illegal application of judicial means, and will firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens, the spokesperson said. ■