President Barack Obama said the United States is “prepared for any contingencies” involving North Korea — including the regime's reported threat to launch a long-range missile toward Hawaii.

Japanese media have reported the North Koreans appear to be preparing for a long-range test near July 4. Defence Secretary Robert Gates has ordered additional protections for Hawaii in case a missile is launched over the Pacific Ocean.

“This administration — and our military is fully prepared for any contingencies,” Mr Obama said during an interview with CBS News to be broadcast in the US Monday on The Early Show.

“I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals,” Mr Obama said. “But I want ... to give assurances to the American people that the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted in terms of what might happen.”

North Korea's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported today that it is “nonsense” to say the country was threatening the US. The paper also warned that Pyongyang is prepared to strike back if attacked.

“As long as our country has become a proud nuclear power, the US should take a correct look at whom it is dealing with,” the paper said. “It would be a grave mistake for the US to think it can remain unhurt if it ignites the fuse of war on the Korean peninsula.”

The South Korean news network YTN reported yesterday that a US Navy destroyer was tailing a North Korean ship, the Kang Nam, suspected of carrying illicit weapons toward Myanmar.

A senior US military official told The Associated Press on Friday that a Navy ship, the USS John S. McCain, was relatively close to the North Korean vessel but had no orders to intercept it and had not requested that authority. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive issue of ship movements.

The Navy ship, a guided missile destroyer, is named after the grandfather and father of Arizona Senator John McCain. Both his relatives were admirals.

Senator McCain, who lost the 2008 presidential election to Mr Obama, said yesterday that the US should board even without North Korean permission if hard evidence shows it is carrying missiles or other cargo in violation of UN resolutions.

“I think we should board it. It's going to contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to rogue nations that pose a direct threat to the United States,” Senator McCain said on CBS.

The Kang Nam is reportedly the first North Korean vessel to be tracked under new UN sanctions.

Mr Obama said Friday that those sanctions demonstrate “unity in the international community”, including Russia and China.

“What we're not going to do is to reward belligerence and provocation,” Mr Obama said.

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