Philippines' Duterte calls North Korea's Kim a 'fool' over nuclear ambitions

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday described North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "fool" and a "son of a b***h", just days before Manila hosts an international meeting certain to address Pyongyang's long-range missile tests.
Duterte held nothing back in rebuking Kim for "playing with dangerous toys", setting the stage for next week's rare get-together, to be attended by foreign ministers of all the countries involved in the standoff on the Korean peninsula.
RELATED: Little known facts about Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte
Duterte was born on March 28, 1945 in Maasin, Southern Leyte, Philippines.
(PHILIPPINES-DAVAO/MODEL REUTERS/Renato Lumawag)
Duterte became the mayor of Davao City in 1988, where he earned the nickname “The Punisher.” He served as mayor for 20 years, non-consecutively.
(PHILIPPINES-DAVAO/MODEL REUTERS/Renato Lumawag)
Duterte comes from a family of politicians. His father, Vicente Duterte, was the governor of unified Davao and a member of President Ferdinand Marcos' cabinet. His daughter, Sara Duterte, is currently the mayor of Davao City.
(REUTERS/Erik De Castro)
Rodrigo Duterte was elected the 16th president of the Philippines in May 2016.
(REUTERS/Czar Dancel)
Duterte once compared himself to Adolf Hitler, saying he would kill millions of drug addicts.
(REUTERS/Ezra Acayan)
Duterte has led a violent anti-drug crackdown, and more than 7,000 have reportedly been killed since he has taken office.
(Photo credit should read NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Duterte called President Barack Obama a “son of a wh**e.” He made the comments after Obama brought up concerns about human rights violations in 2016. Duterte later apologized for the comment.
(Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Weeks before being sworn in as president, Duterte fueled an already hostile environment for journalists when he said, "Just because you're a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you're a son of a b****."
(REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco)
In 2015, Duterte vowed to execute 100,000 criminals and dump their bodies into Manila Bay.
(REUTERS/Czar Dancel)
Duterte cursed Pope Francis over traffic that was generated by his visit.
"We were affected by the traffic," Duterte said. "It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the Pope. I wanted to call him: 'Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again'."
He later apologized.
(PHILIPPINES - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Duterte came under fire in April 2016 after he made a joke about a missionary who was gang raped and murdered during a prison riot in 1989. “But she was so beautiful,” Duterte said. “I thought the mayor should have been first.”
(REUTERS/Harley Palangchao)
A witness testified in Sept. 2016, claiming he was a member of Duterte's alleged "Davao Death Squad," and that the Filipino president gave orders to kill drug dealers, drug users and others who may violate the law.
(Photo credit should read Ezra Acayan / Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
In December of 2016, Duterte said President Donald Trump endorses his violent and deadly campaign against drugs after a brief phone call.
(REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco)
Congressman Gary Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte in March 2017, claiming he is guilty of crimes against humanity and murder.
(REUTERS/Erik De Castro TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
See Gallery
North Korea is determined to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States and officials in Washington said Saturday's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile showed it may be able to reach most of the country.
"This Kim Jong Un, a fool ... he is playing with dangerous toys, that fool," Duterte told tax officials in a speech.
"That chubby face that looks kind. That son of a b***h. If he commits a mistake, the Far East will become an arid land. It must be stopped, this nuclear war.
"A limited confrontation and it blows up here, I will tell you, the fallout can deplete the soil, the resources and I don't know what will happen to us."
RELATED: Inside North Korea's secretive missile program
See Gallery
This year, Duterte is chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and on Monday his foreign minister will host the ASEAN Regional Forum, which brings together 27 countries that include Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea and the United States.
It was not the first time Duterte has criticized Kim over his nuclear ambitions. In April he questioned his sanity and urged the United States to show restraint and not be baited by a man who "wants to end the world".
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is due to attend the Manila meeting, on Tuesday said he wanted dialogue with North Korea at some point, stressing it was not the enemy and the United States did not seek to topple the regime.
(Reporting by Martin Petty and Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
More from AOL.com:
North Korea threatens to annihilate US with 'merciless' missile strike
Iran readies to launch satellite as North Korea prepares another ICBM test
North Korea fires missile into sea off east coast, possibly an ICBM