Japan and the United States in 1994 almost held a "prior consultation" under the bilateral security treaty to discuss an attack on North Korea as tensions mounted over Pyongyang's suspected nuclear arms program, according to Japanese and former U.S. officials.
In June that year, President Bill Clinton's administration was considering a military buildup in the region, including the deployment of more ground troops and fighter jets, due to the heightened tensions.
In response to the U.S. move, Japan began preparing for a prior consultation "on the assumption that U.S. forces in Japan might be involved in combat operations" on the Korean Peninsula, a Japanese official familiar with the matter said.
At the time, Japan was due to hold talks with the U.S. ambassador to Japan, another senior Japanese official said.