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| Madeleine Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, speaks on CNN on Aug. 9. / Screen capture from CNN |
By Ko Dong-hwan
North Korea's threat to launch a missile attack on Guam has increased residents' fears on the U.S. Pacific island territory.
A man whose family live on the island said the threat is "very scary," according to Seattle-based Komo News on Aug. 9.
Skyler Matson, a Guam native, said he heard that North Korea "might bomb Guam and they have nukes this time." Matson worried that people "will die at whatever time."
A former army veteran reportedly said the U.S. "won't wait around for us to get hit" and hoped "the (American) military is prepped and ready to go."
Rick Santos said the island is "not just a naval base or an air force base" but "there are real people, real families and children here."
Madeleine Bordallo, the island's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, said on CNN Wednesday that her constituents are "very concerned" about North Korea's threat.
"A threat is a threat, and I don't think North Korea's going to give us a week in advance notice or anything," she told CNN's Brooke Baldwin.
The U.S. has seven military bases on the island, including the U.S. Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base. The island is a key American military hub and considered its westernmost military training range.
On Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency said North Korea's strategic force is "seriously examining" a plan for an "enveloping strike" at Guam with four Hwasong-12 missiles "to interdict the enemy forces on major military bases on Guam and to signal a crucial warning to the U.S." The state media said the plan will be finalized by mid-August and given to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that North Korea will be met with "fire and fury" should it stick to ambitions to hit the U.S. with ballistic missiles.
