South Korea Scrambled Its Fighter Jets After Chinese and Russian Military Planes Entered Its Air Defense Zone

Seven Russian planes and two Chinese planes entered the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) at around 10 a.m. (0100 GMT), according to Reuters, adding that the planes left without any engagement. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) asserted that there was no breach of its territorial airspace, implying at the possibility they conducted a “joint aerial reconnaissance drill.” However, several fighter jets were deployed to take tactical measures in case of any emergencies.

Yonhap reported that the planes hovered around the zone for an hour before leaving the area. The planes were spotted before entering the air defense identification zone, which is defined as a broader area where countries generally monitor aircraft for security reasons, but the area does not constitute their airspace.

China And Russia Repeatedly Enter the KADIZ without any prior notice

An earlier report by the Newsis news agency had said 11 planes had entered the air defense zone in November 2024, which had forced South Korean Air Force jets to respond in a similar manner. 

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Chinese and Russian military aircraft have often conducted joint exercises around the Korean Peninsula without any notice once or twice a year, as per Yonhap.

Similarly, during the March “Freedom Shield,” which was a joint exercise between South Korea and the U.S., Russia had deployed military aircraft, which included fighters and bombers, into KADIZ eight times, where one approached in the proximity of 20 km outside South Korea’s territorial airspace near Ulleungdo Island.

According to data submitted by the Air Force to the government last April, Chinese military aircraft entered KADIZ a staggering 430 times without prior notification from 2020 to 2024, while Russia has entered KADIZ nearly 60 times over the same time period. 
(with inputs from Reuters)

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