OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the world is grappling with how to respond to a cyberattack crippling Sony Pictures and which the United States blames on North Korea.
Baird tells Ottawa radio station CFRA that part of the difficulty in responding is North Korea’s status as a nuclear power.
But he says the fact Sony cancelled the planned release of a film as a result is an affront to free speech and the threat can’t be allowed to stand.
North Korea denies responsibility for the attack but has called it a “righteous deed” because Sony’s comedy film, “The Interview,” depicts the assassination of its authoritarian leader, Kim Jong Un.
North Korea’s Internet was up and running Tuesday after having been shut down for about 10 hours after the United States vowed a response for the Sony attack.
Baird says he’s had talks with Chinese officials about what to do with the isolated hermit kingdom on the Korean Peninsula.
