PYONGYANG, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday slammed some U.S. lawmakers for attacks against the dignity of the DPRK supreme leadership.

In a reply to questions by the official KCNA news agency, the Foreign Ministry accused Ted Cruz and John McCain, among other conservative lawmakers in the U.S. Senate, of showing "worst hostility toward DPRK by submitting a bill on re-listing the DPRK as a 'terror-sponsor'."

"On March 22 John McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee of the Senate, at a press interview again hurt its (DPRK's) dignity," said the Foreign Ministry.

"What they uttered to dare hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK is just a manifestation of their worst hostility toward the DPRK's ideology and social system and its people and a grave provocation little short of declaration of war against it," added the ministry.

The ministry said the service personnel and people of the DPRK are regarding the dignity of their supreme leadership "as their life and soul" and Washington must know very well about how they react to any offensive acts against it.

"As such guys as John McCain and Ted Cruz made a provocation tantamount to declaration of war against the DPRK, the DPRK will take steps to counter it," it 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," it added.

The ministry described accusations by the U.S. rightwing politicians against the DPRK as "a burlesque making even a cat laugh for the dishonest elements of the U.S., the mastermind of all forms of terrorism worldwide, to label other country 'terror-sponsor'."