South Korea deploys fighter jets after Chinese and Russian military planes enter its air defence identification zone
South Korea scrambled fighter jets on Saturday after more than ten Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its air defence identification zone, though no violation of sovereign airspace occurred.
The incident
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the aircraft entered the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the Sea of Japan and south of the Korean peninsula. The military detected the planes before they entered the zone and scrambled air force fighters as a precaution. The aircraft later left the zone, and no incident was reported.
What is KADIZ?
An air defence identification zone is not sovereign airspace but a buffer in which countries identify approaching aircraft for security. Military planes are expected to notify the relevant country before entering, though this is not mandatory. China and Russia did not immediately comment on the entry.
Response from Seoul
South Korean fighters were deployed "to prepare for any eventuality," the military said in a brief statement, without giving further details. The incursion involved roughly ten aircraft, according to the military's monitoring.
