North Korea to John Kerry: You’re a Hideous Wolf

Are North Korea’s propagandists finally getting better at crafting their metaphors?

In a statement published Wednesday, a spokesperson for the North Korean defense commission insulted Secretary of State John Kerry by insinuating that he is unattractive. According to the Associated Press, the spokesperson ridiculed Kerry as a wolf with a “hideous lantern jaw.” The American diplomat was also described as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The North Korean denunciation of Kerry’s jawline comes on the heels of his comments in Hawaii about the need to continue to promote human rights in East Asia. In the statement, Pyongyang denounced these efforts. “His behaviour fully revealed once again the U.S. inveterate nature as a hypocrite who has deceived and mocked mankind with all sorts of gimmicks,” the spokesperson said, referring to Kerry. The statement only ran in the state-run Korean Central News Agency’s Korean-language version, indicating it was in all likelihood aimed at whipping up patriotic fervor against the United States.

Statements like these are a dime a dozen from North Korea’s propagandists, who recently called President Barack Obama a “wicked black monkey” and said South Korean President Park Geun-hye is “no more than an old prostitute coquetting with outside forces.” But this time, Pyongyang at least stumbled on a suitable metaphor for the incendiary rhetoric.

Those generous jowls and that gray hair do have a vaguely lupine quality.