John McCain has managed to infuriate North Korea after criticizing both Kim Jong-un's politics and physique in one scathing “crazy fat kid” insult. Pyongyang has warned of "disastrous consequences," claiming the comments are a “declaration of war.”
McCain didn't mince his words when referring to Kim during an interview with MSNBC last week, stating that "China is the only one that can control Kim Jong-un, this crazy fat kid that’s running North Korea."
“They could stop North Korea’s economy in a week," he added.
While the comment provoked giggles across the West, Pyongyang was anything but amused.
A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said McCain offended the dignity of the country with his comments, as well as its supreme leadership, the official KCNA news service reported on Tuesday.
The spokesman also addressed former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who earlier this month said that North Korea should be re-listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, following the assassination of Kim's half-brother at a Malaysian airport.
"As such guys as John McCain and Ted Cruz made a provocation tantamount to declaration of war against the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea], the DPRK will take steps to counter it," the spokesman said.
"They will have to bitterly experience the disastrous consequences to be entailed by their reckless tongue-lashing and then any regret for it will come too late," he added.
The statement went on to accuse both McCain and Cruz of being "like a puppy knowing no fear of the tiger."
Responding to the spokesman's statements, McCain tweeted by asking a rather simple – if inflammatory – question.
"What, did they want me to call him a crazy skinny kid?" he asked.
It comes less than five months after China – a North Korean ally – reportedly blocked internet searches for "Jin San Pang," which translates to "Kim Fatty the Third" – a popular term used for the North Korean leader.
Beijing previously blocked other insulting terms, including "Kim Pig the Third."
Kim, 33, is estimated to weigh upwards of 275lbs and reportedly suffers from gout.