Taepodong-2 can hit targets in Alaska, Hawaii

A first test of the Taepodong-2 early Wednesday resulted in failure, with US and South Korean officials saying the missile crashed into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) within a minute of launch.

However, North Korea's missile capability is not underestimated by the United States and its allies.

The South Korean defence ministry says the Taepodong-2 can carry a 1,000 kilogramme warhead up to 6,700 kilometres (4,200 miles), far enough to hit targets in Alaska and possibly Hawaii.

US and South Korean intelligence sources say the North Koreans are also working on a multi-stage Taepodong-2 which could carry a smaller payload over 10,000 kilometres to hit targets on the west coast of the United States.

Since no successful flight tests of the missile have yet been achieved, and its technical specifications remain mostly secret, predictions of its range remain largely the guesswork of military experts.

The Taepodong-2 is a next generation missile after the two-stage Taepodong-1 missile with a range of 2,000 kilometres that North Korea fired over Japan into the Pacific Ocean in 1998, causing an international furore.