The scribes at North Korea's official news agency have long elevated hyperbole into an art form, but even by their high standards, last week's pronouncement was something special.
Here is a typical sentence from the Korean Central News Agency's release announcing the execution of Jang Song Thaek, leader Kim Jong Un's uncle:
"Despicable human scum Jang, who was worse than a dog, perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him."