Washington likely to present evidence proving N. Korea’s involvement in Sony hack

U.S. Congress plans to hold hearing on the recent cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the producer of the movie “The Interview,” the Voice of America (VOA) reported Wednesday. North Korea is suspected to be responsible for the hack.

The U.S. congressional committees on military affairs and intelligence have decided to hold their respective hearings on the Sony hack. Once the hearings begin, senior U.S. officials, including those from the FBI that said Pyongyang was responsible for the cyber attack, will attend them to present concrete evidence proving the North’s involvement.

Some U.S. lawmakers also plan to introduce a bill calling for putting North Korean back on the “state sponsors of terrorism” list. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican congresswoman from Florida, said she would introduce the bill soon.

Ed Royce, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, told CBS Los Angeles that the 114th Congress would put a bill calling for sanctions against North Korea on the desk of President Barack Obama. The bill, modeled after the Iran Sanctions Act, includes strong financial sanctions on businesses, banks and government having transactions with the North.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government gave the number 13687 to a presidential executive order to include the North Korean government and the ruling Workers` Party into the list of those under comprehensive sanctions. It is the fourth executive by the U.S. president on imposing sanctions on North Korea, following those issued in June 2008, August 2010 and April 2011.