North Korea says its latest weapons test was a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to strike targets in the Pacific as leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further expand his collection of nuclear-capable weapons to counter rivals.

North Korea has claimed it fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead which "will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region". The launch on Monday - Pyongyang's first in two months - came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Seoul for talks with some of South Korea's key leaders.

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.

Kim Jong Un warned that North Korea ’s rivals could not ignore its new hypersonic ballistic missile, which was tested while US secretary of state Antony Blinken was visiting South Korea on Monday.

Kim Jong Un described the missile test as a crucial achievement in his goals to bolster North Korea's nuclear deterrence. Lee Sung Joon, Spokesperson of South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, downplayed the test,

The United States on Wednesday condemned North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile earlier this week and reiterated its calls for the recalcitrant regime to stop further "unlawful" and "destabilizing" acts.

North Korea conducted a test launch of its latest medium- and long-range hypersonic ballistic missile, according to information released by the DPRK Central Telegraph Agency.