South Korea scrambles jets after Chinese, Russian aircraft enter air defence zone

SEOUL: South Korea said it deployed fighter jets on Saturday after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its air defence identification zone, while stressing that its airspace was not breached.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the aircraft moved into and later out of the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone, or KADIZ, over the East Sea and the South Sea. The military said it detected the Chinese and Russian planes before they entered the zone and launched an air force response as a precaution.

In a statement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace. An air defence identification zone is a buffer area used to identify approaching aircraft for security reasons and does not amount to sovereign airspace. Military aircraft are generally expected to notify the relevant country before entering such a zone, although that is not a legal requirement.

China’s defence ministry said Chinese and Russian air forces had carried out a strategic air patrol over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean. It said the operation was aimed at demonstrating their determination and capability to jointly uphold regional peace and stability.