The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is considering introducing a new clause under Article 9 of the Constitution to refer to the Self-Defense Forces as an "organization which allows the minimum force necessary for self-defense," a party source said Wednesday.

The envisioned new section is in line with a proposal made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants to revise the war-renouncing article of the supreme law to include an explicit reference to the SDF.

Abe, also head of the LDP, has proposed keeping intact the existing paragraphs of Article 9 of the Constitution, drafted during the U.S.-led Occupation after World War II, and adding a reference to the SDF to ensure there is no room for them to be deemed "unconstitutional."