Residents of US territory Guam say they are afraid after being caught in the middle of rising tensions between President Donald Trump and North Korea but Governor Eddie Calvo has reassured them there is no threat to the island.
The North Korean army said on Wednesday it was examining plans for attacking the island, a military hub about 2400km south of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean.
"An attack or threat to Guam is a threat or attack on the United States," said Calvo, who said he spoke with White House officials on Monday.
"They have said that America will be defended."
North Korea said it mastered a crucial technology needed to strike the US with a nuclear missile.
In response, Trump threatened the country "with fire and fury".
"I'm a little worried, a little panicked. Is this really going to happen?" said Cecil Chugrad, a bus driver for a tour bus company in Guam.
"If it's just me, I don't mind, but I have to worry about my son. I feel like moving (out of Guam) now."
Guam's homeland security adviser, George Charfauros, urged calm and said defences were in place for such threats.
Guam's delegate to US Congress, Madeleine Bordallo, said "Guam remains safe and I am confident in the ability of US defences to protect our island and allies in the region".
Todd and Mitch Thompson, two brothers who are lawyers on Guam, said they had not seen anyone panicking or stocking up on supplies.
"I think people are just stunned and really don't know what to think," Todd Thompson said.
North Korea made a similar threat a few years ago and Todd said he just laughed it off "but I have to say I'm not laughing now".
"My concern is that things have changed in Washington and who knows what's going to happen?" he said.
Mitch Thompson said he believed "a lot of people have no confidence that the White House will do the right thing under the circumstances".
Both brothers plan to be off-island in the coming weeks.
