Chinese aircraft enters Korean air defense zone

A Chinese military aircraft entered South Korea’s Air Defense Identification Zone (Kadiz) on Monday without prior notification, defense authorities here said.

It trespassed in the Kadiz at around 9:30 a.m. and entered Japan’s ADIZ, or Jadiz, before finally flying out of the Kadiz at around 2:05 p.m., according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

“Our military first detected the unidentified flight in the southwest of Ieo Island,” it said.

South Korean Air Force jets, including an F-15K fighter, made an emergency sortie to closely monitor the Chinese plane’s activity, added JCS. The Chinese plane appears to be a Y-8 multi-role transport or maritime patrol jet, a source said later.

In mid-December, five Chinese military aircraft entered the Kadiz, the JCS announced at that time.

An ADIZ is airspace over land or water declared by a state for the early identification and location of a foreign plane approaching its territory. It’s not defined in any international law or treaty.

The Kadiz near Ieo Island overlaps with the air defense zones designated by China and Japan.

Yonhap