Here's why North Korea wants to strike U.S. island Guam

North Korea on Wednesday said it is considering plans to attack U.S. island territory Guam.

north korea
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un. Reuters

North Korea on Wednesday said it is considering plans to attack U.S. island territory Guam.

The threat from the Korean peninsula came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said in response to a Washington Post report on North Korea's nuclear capabilities that further threats from the country would be met with "fire and fury."

Here are some of the facts about Guam:

  • Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Guam is a key U.S. military hub that includes a submarine squadron, an airbase and a Coast Guard group.
  • There are said to be about 6,000 U.S. troops on Guam with almost a third of the land controlled by the U.S. military.
  • Guam is south-east of North Korea, about 3,400 kilometres from Pyongyang.
  • It is also a major hub for submarine cables between the Western U.S., Hawaii, Australia and Asia.
  • Guam is a popular destination for Japanese tourists. Its tourist hub, Tumon, features over 20 large hotels, a Duty Free Shoppers Galleria, Pleasure Island district, among others.

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