Chinese jets trespassed air defense zone: South Korea

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Two Chinese fighter jets flew through the overlapping parts of the Korean air defense identification zones, South Korea’s military said on Friday.

The Chinese jets "did not violate" the South Korean airspace on Thursday, the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) clarified.

“The Chinese fighters entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone at 10:30 a.m. (0130GMT) and 11:10 a.m. (0210GMT), respectively, from an area southwest of Ieo Islet, a submerged rock south of the southern island of Jeju, and exited it at around noon,” the JCS said.

Seoul flew its own in response to the flights of Chinese jets.

“One of the fighters reentered the KADIZ at 3 p.m. (0600GMT) and left it about 30 minutes later,” the JCS added.

The Chinese fighter jets “flew through the overlapping parts of the air defense identification zones of South Korea and China,” Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

“The air defense zone is not territorial airspace but is delineated to call on foreign planes to identify themselves so as to prevent accidental clashes,” it added.

Last month, amid tensions with Pyongyang, Seoul had to temporarily shut its two airports, scramble its jets, and fire warning shots after drones from North Korea crossed the border areas of Gyeonggi province.

The drones crossed the Military Demarcation Line, which separates the two Koreas, and were spotted flying in Gimpo, Ganghwa Island, and Paju.​​​​​​​