How far into the continental U.S. do analysts believe a North Korean Taepodong-2 type missile will reach?

Question

I am curious if anyone has found a link to specific details (ie. range, payload capacity) for the Korean Taepodong-2 missile system. Also, what type of "respose" would the U.S. be obligated to should North Korea decide to launch the missile currently slated for testing? I understand that the missile system is Korean top secret and that nobody knows for sure but I am still curious about expert estimates.

Answer 1

It was initially estimated to have a range of 4,000 km, but is currently estimated to have a range of up to 15,000 km.
This missile could reach major cities and military bases in Alaska and the smaller, westernmost islands in the Hawaiian chain. Light-weight variations of the TD-2 could fly as far as 10,000 km, placing at risk western U.S. territory in an arc extending northwest from Phoenix, Arizona, to Madison, Wisconsin.
So all you people in Madison can start digging your fallout shelters anytime. Looks like Chicago is out of range though. Then again, maybe not.