Another Chinese jet enters Kadiz

Korea scrambled Air Force jets on Wednesday to counter a Chinese military plane that flew into the country’s air defense zone without notice, defense authorities in Seoul said.

The Chinese plane entered Korea’s air defense identification zone - known as Kadiz - at around 7:37 a.m. and moved over southern and eastern waters for about four hours, according to the Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Normal tactical measures were taken,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. A warning message was sent, and Air Force jets were dispatched to track and monitor the plane. More than 10 jets, including F-15K fighters, were mobilized, a source said later.

This marked the second flight of a Chinese aircraft, believed to be for military reconnaissance, into the Kadiz in a month. There were also similar incidents in January, February and April.

An air defense identification zone is airspace over land or water declared by a state for the early identification and location of foreign planes approaching its territory. It is not defined in any international law or treaty.

The Kadiz near Ieo Island, a Korean-controlled submerged rock south of Jeju Island, overlaps with the air defense zones designated by China and Japan, a source of potential tension among the regional powers.

Yonhap