South Korea and Japan make moves as China and Russian warplanes enter Seoul’s defense zone
On Thursday, South Korea deployed fighter jets in response to the entry of two Chinese and four Russian military planes into its air defense zone, according to South Korea’s military. The incident occurred in the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) off the east coast between 11:53 a.m. (0253 GMT) and 12:10 p.m., with the aircraft leaving the area afterward, as stated by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
Although the planes did not breach South Korea’s territorial airspace, Japan also scrambled jets to monitor joint flights by Chinese and Russian bombers and fighters on the same day, according to its defense ministry. The aircraft, including China’s H-6, J-16, Y-8, and Russia’s Tu-95, Su-35, were observed flying towards the East China Sea through the channel between Japan and South Korea.
An Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is typically an area where countries can unilaterally request foreign aircraft to take specific steps to identify themselves, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization. This is distinct from a nation’s airspace, which usually extends 12 nautical miles from its coastline.
Unlike airspace, there are no international laws governing air defense zones. Moscow does not acknowledge Korea’s air defense zone, and Beijing asserts that the zone is not territorial airspace, emphasizing the principle of freedom of movement for all countries.
The JCS reported detecting the foreign aircraft before they entered the KADIZ and scrambled its air force fighter jets to implement tactical measures. South Korea raised objections to the aircraft movement with China, according to a JCS official, but did not address the issue with Russia.
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China and Russia, being traditional allies of North Korea, have drawn attention, especially as Washington warned of “growing and dangerous” military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. In June, Chinese and Russian warplanes approached South Korea’s airspace during joint air force patrols over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, leading to the deployment of South Korean fighter jets. In November 2022, military jets from Moscow and Beijing entered and exited Seoul’s KADIZ, prompting a similar response from South Korea.