North Korea’s missile threat

North Korea’s rockets have the potential to strike its immediate neighbours, while missiles in development could reach India and eventually Europe, North America and Australia

Okinawa
SOUTH KOREA
NORTH KOREA
JAPAN
INDIA
CHINA
RUSSIA
EUROPE
UK
CANADA
MEXICO
U.S.
AUSTRALIA
NEW ZEALAND
Guam
Hawaii
PACIFIC OCEAN
NORTH POLE
1,500km
3,500km
5,000km
10,000km
9,000km

UNHA-3
Three-stage rocket successfully delivered North Korea’s first satellite into Earth orbit in 2012.
Length: 30m
Range: 10,000km-plus
Operational

TAEPODONG-2
Test-fired in 2006, 2009 and 2012. All three launches failed. 
Length: 29m.
Payload: 100-500kg. Range: 6,000-
9,000km. Under development

KN-08 (Hwaseong-13)
Missile has never been tested
Length: 19.75m. Range 5,500-6,000km

NODONG
Based on Scud ballistic missile, but 50% larger and with more powerful engine.
Length: 15.5-16.0m
Payload: 250-700kg
Range estimate:
1,300-1,500km
Status: Operational
TAEPODONG-1
Length: 24m
Payload: 100-200kg
Range: 2,000-
2,900km
Operational

MUSUDAN (HS-10)
Based on R-27
SLBM. Four attempts
to test-fire missile
in April and May
2016 failed.
Length: 12m
Payload: 1,200kg
Range estimate:
2,500-3,500km
Under development

KN-11 (Polaris-1)
Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed from Soviet-era R-27. Successfully launched April 2016.
Length: 9.3m. Payload: 650kg
Range: Single-stage solid-fuel missile expected
to fly around 900km. Under development

Sources: IHS Jane’s 360, International Institute for Strategic Studies, 38 North, Johns Hopkins University