North Korea has tested a new hypersonic missile, which Kim Jong-un said would help deter the country’s Pacific rivals, state media reported on Tuesday.

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

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

KCNA cited the use of a “new compound of carbon fibre” in the missile’s engine, which experts warned could allow Pyongyang to hit further targets with technology to which only the US, Russia and China currently have access.

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

The test came as Mr Blinken, the US secretary of state, visited strategic ally South Korea, a fierce rival of the North, with whom it technically remains at war. The top US envoy, now in Tokyo, was expected to address issues surrounding Pyongyang in talks with Japan later on Tuesday.