North Korea’s top diplomat says his country may test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean, according to a South Korean media report.

The Yonhap news agency is reporting Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho made the comments on the sidelines of a United Nations gathering in New York, where he is expected to speak on Saturday (local time).

He was asked by reporters what his leader Kim Jong-un meant when he said he was considering a response against the US because of President Donald Trump’s threats to “totally destroy” North Korea.

The Yonhap news agency reports that Mr Ri told reporters in New York that a response “could be the most powerful detonation of an H-bomb in the Pacific”.

Mr Ri reportedly added that “we have no idea about what actions could be taken as it will be ordered by leader Kim Jong-un”.

Such a test would be considered a major provocation by Washington and its allies.