<기사>Chinese and Russian Military Aircraft Intrude into South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone... Military Deploys Fighter Jets in Response

JCS: "No Airspace Violation"

Military aircraft from China and Russia violated South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ). Although they did not cross into South Korean airspace, the military authorities scrambled fighter jets as a countermeasure to prevent any accidental incidents.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that from 9:35 a.m. to 1:53 p.m. on the 29th, five Chinese military aircraft and six Russian military aircraft sequentially entered and exited the KADIZ over the East Sea and South Sea. There was no airspace violation. A Joint Chiefs of Staff official explained, "Our military identified the Chinese and Russian military aircraft before they entered the KADIZ," adding, "We deployed Air Force fighter jets and carried out tactical measures to prepare for any accidental situations."

The Russian 'TU-95' bomber that illegally entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) in July 2019. Provided by the Joint Staff Office of the Japanese Ministry of Defense

The Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is an arbitrarily established area by each country to identify unidentified aircraft early and prevent airspace violations; it is a concept different from 'airspace.' When foreign aircraft enter a country's ADIZ, it is customary to obtain prior permission from the military authorities of that country to avoid 'accidental situations.'

However, China and Russia have repeatedly entered the KADIZ without prior notification to South Korea in recent years, citing joint aerial exercises as a reason. In December last year, the South Korean government protested to both countries over KADIZ violations. Russia is known to hold the position of not recognizing other countries' ADIZ.