Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has reportedly reiterated the possibility of sending troops to the Korean Peninsula in the event of contingencies.

According to the Sankei Shimbun on Wednesday, Kan reiterated in a meeting at the Diet that Tokyo will review ways to dispatch aircraft or vessels belonging to its Self-Defense Forces to the peninsula to rescue Japanese nationals in the event of an emergency.

The prime minister made a similar remark during a meeting last month with Japanese families who had relatives allegedly abducted by North Korea.