Chinese And Russian Military Aircraft Enter The Air Defense Zone, South Korea Deploys Fighter Jets

South Korea's F-15 fighter jet illustration. (Wikimedia Commons//Republic of Korea Armed Forces)

JAKARTA - South Korea (South Korea) deployed its fighter jets on Tuesday, when a number of foreign aircraft were identified as entering its air defense area.

The military revealed that nine military aircraft originating from China and Russia had entered and left the South Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) above the eastern and southern waters.

Two Chinese military aircraft and seven Russian aircraft consecutively entered KADIZ at around 10:00 a.m., prompting the military to deliver Air Force fighter jets in preparation for possible unexpected situations, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), reported by The Korea Times (9/12).

The planes, including bombers and fighter jets, occasionally entered and left KADIZ for about an hour before finally fully withdrawing from the air defense zone, a JCS official said.

They did not violate Korean airspace, JCS said, adding that they detected the plane before entering the air defense zone.

Since 2019, the two countries have delivered their military aircraft to KADIZ once or twice a year during joint exercises, without prior notice.

In the latest similar incident, 11 military aircraft from China and Russia entered KADIZ together in November last year.

It is known that the Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) is not a territorial airspace, but is designed to summon foreign aircraft to identify themselves to prevent unexpected clashes.