North Korea’s Kim says new hypersonic missile can deter Pacific ‘rivals’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) his country tested Monday would help deter its enemies in the region — a veiled reference to the U.S., Japan and South Korea — state-run media reported Tuesday.

“The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim as saying.

Pyongyang claimed the new hypersonic weapon had flown at 12 times the speed of sound for 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) before hitting a simulated target in the open sea. That figure clashed with the 1,100-km distance reported by Japan and South Korea.