South Korea witnessed the entry of six military aircraft from China and Russia into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the East Sea, as reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
This incident led to the deployment of South Korean fighter jets to the area. According to the JCS, the incursion, which involved two Chinese and four Russian aircraft, occurred between 11:53 a.m. and 12:10 p.m., though it did not constitute a violation of South Korea’s actual airspace.
Before the entry of these aircraft into the ADIZ, the JCS had already detected their presence and consequently dispatched South Korean Air Force jets in response.
It’s important to note that the air defense zone, while not a part of a country’s sovereign airspace, is established to request foreign aircraft to identify themselves. This practice is intended to avoid unintended conflicts or incidents in the air.
The air defense zone occupies an area larger than South Korea’s airspace.
Russian and Chinese military jets already entered and exited the KADIZ in November last year, also causing Seoul to scramble its fighter jets.
Moscow does not recognize the air defense zone, while Beijing says it is not territorial airspace, meaning that aircraft from all countries should be able to fly freely there.
Territorial airspace usually means the space above a country’s territory, extending 12 nautical miles (22 km) away from its coastline.
Earlier this month, an F-16 fighter jet from the U.S. Air Force crashed in South Korea on Monday during a standard training mission, following an “in-flight emergency,” as reported by the U.S. Air Force’s stationed unit in South Korea.
