"The United States condemns North Korea for the cyber-attack targeting Sony Pictures Entertainment and the unacceptable threats against movie theaters and moviegoers," he said in written statement.

"We encourage our allies and partners to stand with us as we defend the values of all of our people in the face of state-sponsored intimidation," Kerry added.

Separately, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said U.S. and Chinese officials had met in Washington and Beijing to discuss the issue, adding that: "Both China and the United States agree that conducting destructive attacks in cyberspace is outside the norms of appropriate cyber behavior."

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Susan Heavey and Sandra Maler)