What would be the most likely outcome if North Korea successfully launched a ballistic missile towards the US?

It would make it half way and then fall into the Pacific ocean, since they don't have a missile capable of reaching the Continental US yet.

Though the general answer is "Pyongyang would be wiped off the face of the map". So they would never do it.

Assuming a North Korean warhead actually hit the U.S. it would likely be somewhere on the West coast, Los Angeles or San Fransisco maybe. After something like that the U.S. would likely fire a nuke back at them, probably several, which would result in the complete devastation of the entire nation. If nukes are off the table we're at the very least invading them, and our temperament is going to be closer to the U.S.S.R. invading Germany than to our usual occupation stuff, the North Koreans will be lucky to have a million people left at the end of either scenario. China won't stick its neck out for North Korea if something like this happens, in fact we'd likely see the United States become extremely paranoid and aggressive in the aftermath of a nuclear attack. The world is going to be a scary place after that, the American people will not tolerate petty wars like Iraq or Afghanistan, they'll be out for bood.

Good question.

Considering all three nuclear powers closest to North Korea have automated response systems to any missile attack any response might trigger a complete nuclear exchange, even if the USA managed to stop a missile before it got as far as Alaska. (Alaska because that is on the great circle path from Korea to USA targets)

Consideration of Korea's position on the planet matters here because it is on the flight path of almost all the missiles and major targets if you look at the great circle paths of the missiles. (especially China and USA)

Unless the Americans, Russians and Chinese agreed beforehand not to launch even if their MAD systems triggered then North Korea does not need a full military arsenal to cause a complete nuclear holocaust. The odds of any one of the cold war nations taking any such no response action seems a bit remote.

1. The Missile would be shot down

2. President Obama would order our 55,000 troops in South Korea and Japan to attack North Korea

3. President Obama would order the CIA to find Kim Jung Un and beat him to death

4. China would try to make peace won't work

5. After a year our war North Korea is now part of the United States

NK has a lot of technical failures when it comes to missile development. Currently, it is unlikely for one of their missiles to make it to the continental US. Most likely they would target South Korea or Japan. If they did launch against the US and it made it the whole way the US has missile defense systems that could probably take out the missile.

Actually it would be possible to shoot down in time using the same technology we have in the US. Both countries have anti-missile defenses.

Considering the NK doesn't have the miniaturization capability to strap a nuke to a missile, yet, it is unlikely that they will launch a nuke against the US (or even Japan right now).

It would be in a ****-tonne of trouble for launching a Nuclear Missile at another country. Even though the US was never pulled up for it when THEY committed the biggest war crime in History... But anyway, the major powers of the world would intervene directly to remove Kim Jung whatshisface. It wouldn't be a very long war.

I'm tired of hearing about N Korea on the news. Anyone with half of brain knows that for N Korea to launch nukes at a country would be suicide. KIm isn't gonnna do that. It's all a ploy to get the world to pay attention to them and buy them off, like clinton did with the rice aid.

the media should stop hyping those losers.

The United States of America would wipe North Korea off the face of the earth.

North Korea has a bunch of missiles pointed at South Korea right now so if anyone tries anything North Korea will demolish south korea it is a fact and we wouldn't get there in time to save South Korea

The people of North Korea are poor, starving, subjugated peasants.

We would respond with tactical strikes and ground forces aimed at taking out the military and the government. Nukes would not be an option since this would wipe out the innocent population.

A ballistic missle is relatively harmless. A nuclear-armed ballistic missle would result in turning North Korea into Lake North Korea.