( CNN ) -- The past few weeks have seen North Korea become increasingly belligerent toward the United States and South Korea , with Pyongyang threatening to `` mercilessly strike '' its enemies . But does the reclusive nation , led by Kim Jong Un , have the capability to back up its threats ? Realistically , who 's at risk of attack and where ? Most observers say North Korea is years away from having the technology to deliver a nuclear warhead . However , it still has plenty of conventional firepower , including medium-range missiles . North Korea : Our global fear and fascination . Here 's a look at some of North Korea 's possible targets and whether they might be in range : . South Korea . The two Koreas technically are still at war because their conflict in the 1950s ended in a truce , not a peace treaty . But in March , the North declared that truce invalid . South Korea 's close proximity to the north puts it easily within range of the North 's missiles -- not to mention the heavy artillery that 's built up at the Demilitarized Zone separating the two countries . The North also has a military force of 1.1 million -- nearly double the South Korean military and the 28,000 American troops stationed in the South . Its numbers advantage offsets an aging air force , which has suffered fuel shortages in the past , and a navy that 's smaller than South Korea 's . People in South Korea 's capital do n't seem too concerned with the North 's latest rhetoric -- they 've been hearing it for decades . But it 's different on Yeongpyeong Island , a two-hour ferry trip from the South Korean mainland , where people have fresh memories of North Korea 's shelling in 2010 . Guam . In addition to South Korea , North Korea has threatened to strike U.S. bases in the Pacific , specifically those in Hawaii and Guam . The United States recently announced that it would be sending a land-based missile defense system to Guam , an island in the Western Pacific about 2,000 miles from North Korea , to defend against a possible attack . North Korea says U.S. bases in Guam are in `` striking range , '' but at least one analyst says he 's doubtful of a legitimate threat . `` Unless there has been a miraculous turnaround among North Korea 's strategic forces , there is little chance that it could successfully land a missile on Guam , Hawaii or anywhere else outside the Korean Peninsula that U.S. forces may be stationed , '' wrote James Hardy , Asia-Pacific editor of IHS Jane 's Defence Weekly , in an opinion column for CNN.com . Still , the U.S. is taking no chances . `` It only takes being wrong once , and I do n't want to be the secretary of defense who was wrong once , '' U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said . Japan . While there may be some doubt about whether North Korea could strike Guam , the same can not be said for Japan . Only a few hundred miles separate North Korea and Japan , which also hosts U.S. military bases . With North Korea allegedly transferring missile components to its east coast , Japan faces the threat of a missile hitting its shores or flying over its air . Continental United States . State media in North Korea reported in March that it had rockets on standby , ready to fire at U.S. targets on the mainland . That report came with a photo of Kim featuring a map behind him that appeared to show straight lines stretching to the continental United States . Officials have said they do not believe North Korea has the capability to reach Hawaii , much less the U.S mainland . But the Obama administration nevertheless announced plans to deploy additional ground-based missile interceptors on the West Coast . In a March interview with ABC News , President Barack Obama said he does not think North Korea can carry out a missile attack on the United States . `` They probably ca n't , but we do n't like the margin of error , '' Obama said .
Japan has threatened pre-emptive strikes against U.S. , but how realistic are these threats ? Japan and South Korea , both with U.S. military bases , are well within striking distance . Experts doubt Barack Obama could be hit , and the South Korea mainland appears to be well out of range .