South Korea scrambles jets as Chinese, Russian warplanes fly air patrol over Sea of Japan

Seoul says China-Russia patrol entered South Korean Air Defense Identification Zone

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China has said its annual joint air patrols are part of a cooperation agreement with Russia and are not aimed at any third party, in line with international practice. Photo: AFP

Amber Wangin BeijingandWendy Wuin Beijing

Published: 1:00pm, 29 Nov 2024Updated: 9:12pm, 29 Nov 2024

South Korea scrambled fighter jets on Friday after spotting Chinese and Russian military aircraft entering its air defence identification zone during a joint aerial patrol over the Sea of Japan.

It was the ninth joint strategic aerial patrol between the two militaries since 2019, and China’s defence ministry said the patrols were based on an annual bilateral military cooperation plan.

The South Korean military said it spotted five Chinese and six Russian military aircraft entering the South Korean Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the seas off the eastern and southern coasts without notice on Friday.

Air defence identification zones are not territorial airspaces but are delineated to call on foreign planes to identify themselves to prevent accidental clashes.

South Korea’s air force took “tactical” measures by mobilising fighter jets, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing an official with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It is not the first time that military aircraft from the two countries have been detected entering the KADIZ during their joint operations, with similar incidents happening at least twice – in June and December of last year.

China and Russia have deepened their military cooperation, with frequent joint aerial and naval exercises taking place this year.