China flies into Kadiz for over 4 hours

China flew a military aircraft into South Korea’s Air Defense Identification Zone (Kadiz) for over four hours Tuesday without giving prior notification, defense authorities here said.

It came close to South Korea’s territorial airspace, prompting its fighter jets, including an F-15K, to scramble to monitor its activity, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The jet entered the Kadiz at around 9:34 a.m. and approached some 30 miles northwest of Ulleung Island in the East Sea before flying out of the zone at around 2:01 p.m., the JCS added. It described the flight route as “unusual,” given China’s previous dispatch of several warplanes into the Kadiz south of the peninsula.

“Our military warned it to stop the act of raising tensions that can trigger an accidental conflict through the South Korea-China [military] hotline and [the pilot’s] radio communication,” it said.

A JCS official said the jet is believed to be a reconnaissance plane, adding the government plans to lodge a strong protest with China over the act via various channels, including the military and the foreign ministry.

Yonhap