South Korea accuses Chinese aircraft of violating airspace

South Korean fighter jets were forced to scramble after five Chinese military aircraft entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ).

Yonhap news agency quoted a source from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying that the Chinese aircraft was detected entering the KADIZ from Ieo Island in the southwest at around 10:10 a.m. on December 18 and flew out of the area at 1:47 p.m. the same day.

Illustration photo: Yonhap

"Our military confirmed through the Air Force Control and Reporting Center that they were Chinese military aircraft," the JCS added. South Korean F-15K and F-16K fighters conducted "normal tactical measures" until the Chinese aircraft left.

The Chinese aircraft included two bombers, two fighters and a reconnaissance aircraft, a JCS official said. "They discussed with the Chinese side via a hotline and they said the activity was part of a routine exercise," he added. "We are analyzing their exact purpose."

The KADIZ near Ieo Island overlaps the air defense zones unilaterally established by China and Japan.

According to Vietnamnet.vn