The Pentagon is condemning North Korea for ordering its artillery and rocket units to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam, and the United States mainland.  The threats come as new economic sanctions against the North kick in.

American military officials are brushing off the threats and say they’re prepared to deal with “any contingency”.

Pyongyang does have medium range missile that might be able to strike Pacific Ocean bases; Just not the continental U.S.

Seoul says North Korea’s army and navy are taking part in military exercises along the west coast, but the air force does not appear to be involved.

Tensions on the peninsula have been strained since Pyongyang’s test of a nuclear weapon on 12 February.

South Korea on Tuesday held a memorial for the 46 sailors who died in the sinking of its ROKS Cheonan naval vessel by a North Korea torpedo in 2010.  North Korea denied responsibility and its long-suffering ally China concurred, but a North Korean defector who escaped a year later revealed that Pyongyang honored the crew of the submarine that fired the torpedo.