The war of words between North Korea and the United States has escalated, with the North Korean Foreign Ministry lashing out at U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

At the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phuket, Thailand, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman blasted Clinton for what he said were her "vulgar remarks unbecoming for her position." The spokesman then described her as a "funny lady" who sometimes "appears like a primary schoolgirl." The remarks were apparently a response to Clinton's comparing the North to an “unruly teenager.”

The spokesman said Clinton's remarks demonstrate she is “by no means intelligent.”

The U.S. State Department struck back in a regular news briefing, calling the North "vulgar and unintelligent" due to its choice to harvest missiles rather than enough food for its people.

The department warned that the North's personal attack will make it much more difficult to normalize ties with Washington.