Sankei highlighted remarks made at the Diet yesterday by Foreign Minister Kono, who said the GOJ may have to mobilize government planes and vessels for evacuating Japanese nationals from South Korea in the event of a contingency involving North Korea. He stressed that the GOJ will consider tapping SDF aircraft and warships in noncombatant evacuation operations if the use of commercial vessels proves difficult. He added that Japan might help evacuate citizens from other nations in a crisis on the Korean Peninsula.