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SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - Around nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft buzzed South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) on Tuesday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) here.
According to the JCS, two Chinese and seven Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ at around 10 a.m., before leaving shortly after. This prompted South Korean military fighter jets to scramble in response to any incidents.
They were bombers and fighter jets involved in the two big powers' military maneuvers in the region.
A JCS official said, "The Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ near Ulleungdo Island and the easternmost islets of Dokdo, while the Chinese aircraft entered near the submerged shelf of Ieodo, before converging near Japan's Tsushima Island."
Similar flybys occurred in November, last year during their joint military exercises as well.
The air defense identification zone does not constitute territorial airspace but is established in order to identify air traffic. It is common protocol for aircraft entering another country's air defense identification zone to request permission.
But Russia does not recognize South Korea's KADIZ, citing a lack of international legal basis. The KADIZ over Ieodo overlaps with the airspaces of both South Korea and China.
According to the JCS, two Chinese and seven Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ at around 10 a.m., before leaving shortly after. This prompted South Korean military fighter jets to scramble in response to any incidents.
They were bombers and fighter jets involved in the two big powers' military maneuvers in the region.
A JCS official said, "The Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ near Ulleungdo Island and the easternmost islets of Dokdo, while the Chinese aircraft entered near the submerged shelf of Ieodo, before converging near Japan's Tsushima Island."
Similar flybys occurred in November, last year during their joint military exercises as well.
The air defense identification zone does not constitute territorial airspace but is established in order to identify air traffic. It is common protocol for aircraft entering another country's air defense identification zone to request permission.
But Russia does not recognize South Korea's KADIZ, citing a lack of international legal basis. The KADIZ over Ieodo overlaps with the airspaces of both South Korea and China.
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