China, Russia planes penetrate Kadiz, Seoul scrambles jets

Chinese and Russian warplanes entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (Kadiz) on two separate occasions without notice on Tuesday, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighters to the scene, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

A Chinese Xian H-6 jet bomber, seen from the cockpit of a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet during the two countries' drills in December 2020, a previous instance in which China and Russia entered the Korean air defense identification zone. [YONHAP]

Chinese and Russian warplanes entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (Kadiz) on two separate occasions without notice on Tuesday, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighters to the scene, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

According to the JCS, two Chinese and four Russian warplanes entered the Kadiz, but did not violate South Korea's territorial airspace.

“Prior to their entry into the Kadiz, our military deployed Air Force fighters to conduct tactical maneuvers in preparation against potential accidental situations," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.

Unilaterally designated by countries, air defense identification zones (Adiz) are not subject to international agreements and are more extensive than traditional national airspaces.

The U.S. was involved in defining the air defense identification zones of Korea, Japan and Taiwan during the Cold War.

According to the JCS, two Chinese H-6 bombers entered the Kadiz from an area 126 kilometers (78 miles) northwest of Ieodo, a submerged reef formation south of the southern island of Jeju, at 7:56 a.m. on Tuesday.

The two aircraft moved toward the East Sea and exited the Kadiz at around 9:33 a.m.

The two Chinese warplanes later joined four Russian warplanes, including two TU-95 bombers, and entered the Kadiz together at 9:58 a.m. They left the zone at 10:15 a.m.

Four Chinese and two Russian military aircraft were spotted flying in an area some 267 kilometers southeast of Ieodo – outside the Kadiz – at 3:40 p.m., the JCS said.

Before Tuesday, the last Kadiz intrusion occurred on March 24, when Russian warplanes flew into the Kadiz northwest of Ulleung Island in the East Sea at around 11 a.m. and left 30 minutes later.

A Chinese military plane also entered the Kadiz near Ieodo the day before that.

China’s Adiz, proclaimed in 2013, overlaps South Korea’s where the two countries have disputes over claims, such as Ieodo, which belong in waters that both Seoul and Beijing claim.

As submerged reefs, Ieodo cannot be considered disputed territory but Korea and China’s exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap at that point.

While a country’s national airspace and territorial sea extends only 12 nautical miles from its coastlines or around islands it claims, an EEZ can include waters 200 nautical miles from a country’s coastlines.

Effectively controlled by Korea, Ieodo is located 149 kilometers southwest of Korea’s southernmost Mara Island in the East China Sea and 287 kilometers from China’s eastern Yushan Island in Zhejiang Province.

South Korea has maintained an ocean research station built atop the area since 2003, though China has criticized this as an “illegal activity” while downplaying suggestions there is a dispute between the two countries.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]