Chilling simulation shows exactly what would happen if North Korea launched a nuclear bomb towards the White House

If North Korea launched a nuclear missile toward the United States, the president would only have a few minutes to act and leave the White House. A realistic simulation has shown exactly what might happen in such a terrifying situation.

Right now, nine countries in the world have nuclear weapons. These include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Pakistan, India, China, Russia, and North Korea. The fear of a nuclear war still exists today, especially during times of political tension.

In 2022, *The Infographics Show* made a video that explained what could happen if North Korea used a powerful missile called the Hwasong-15. This missile is large, has two stages, and can carry a heavy nuclear bomb.

According to the simulation, North Korea might use an old-fashioned communication method—like basic phone lines—to avoid being spied on when planning the launch. The country’s leader could then give the final order to fire the missile.

Even if the launch comes as a surprise, the U.S. has advanced technology that can detect the heat signal from the missile as it lifts off. This would trigger an emergency alert. U.S. defense systems would immediately try to confirm the threat. Once it’s confirmed to be real, officials in the White House would be notified.

The president would be rushed to the Situation Room to review live tracking data of the missile. At the same time, the Secret Service would begin moving the president to a safe, secret location. If the missile is specifically aimed at the White House, the president would have less than 40 minutes to escape.

The United States has warships armed with interceptor missiles that can shoot down incoming missiles once they start coming back toward Earth. However, for those interceptors to work, the enemy missile needs to be in its descent phase—meaning it’s already on its way down.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military on land would activate another defense system called the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense. This system uses long-range interceptors designed to destroy missiles while they’re still flying through space.

Although North Korea has missiles that can reach the east coast of the U.S., experts believe they would be more accurate if they targeted the west coast instead.

To protect people, the U.S. Navy would quickly move its ships into strategic positions near big cities. Special aircraft, sometimes called “doomsday planes,” would also take off. These planes fly high to stay safe from ground explosions and could carry top government officials, including the president, aboard Air Force One.

At the same time, American nuclear bombers would get ready in case they are needed for a counterattack. Submarines carrying U.S. nuclear weapons would also prepare to strike if the president gives the order.

Once U.S. supercomputers analyze the path, speed, and height of the North Korean missile, they would decide when and how to launch the interceptors to try to shoot it down.

While all of this is happening, the president could also go to Congress to ask for a formal declaration of war against North Korea. That would mean the nuclear missile was just the beginning of a much bigger conflict.