South Korea scrambled fighter jets as a precautionary measure after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its air defence zone on Saturday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul confirmed that the aircraft had entered and then left the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the East Sea and the South Sea.
Precautionary Measures
South Korea's military detected the Chinese and Russian aircraft before they entered the zone and deployed Air Force fighter jets to prepare for any contingency, according to a statement released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The statement did not provide further details.
No Airspace Violation
It is important to note that the Chinese and Russian aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace. An air defence identification zone is not sovereign airspace but a buffer area where countries identify approaching aircraft for security purposes.
Previous Incidents
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In December 2025, South Korea and Japan reacted furiously when nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ. South Korea's defence ministry lodged protests with Beijing and Moscow over that incident, while Japan expressed its'serious concern' over national security.
No Immediate Comments
China and Russia did not comment immediately about the recent incident. However, in the previous incident, China and Russia said the flights were part of a joint patrol over the East Sea and the western Pacific.
