North Korea’s Kim says new missile will deter ‘rivals’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says a new hypersonic missile system tested this week will help deter the country’s Pacific rivals, state media reports, as Washington’s top diplomat visits the region.

The test comes two weeks before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has previously tried to woo North Korea, and coincided with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the South.

“The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state,” Kim, who oversaw the launch, says in comments carried by KCNA.

KCNA cites the use of a “new compound of carbon fiber” in the missile’s engine, which experts warn could allow Pyongyang to hit further targets with technology only the United States, Russia and China currently have access to.

The launch also used a “new comprehensive and effective method” for its flight and guidance control system, KCNA says.