South Korea has filed a formal protest with the Russian and Chinese defense attachés in Seoul after military aircraft from both countries entered its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday.
According to Seoul, seven Russian military aircraft and two Chinese aircraft briefly entered the KADIZ, prompting South Korea to scramble its own fighter jets to take “tactical measures in preparation for any emergency.” Authorities emphasized that no violation of sovereign airspace occurred.
Several countries designate ADIZ areas to require foreign aircraft to identify themselves, though these zones are not considered sovereign airspace under international law.
The incident adds to a series of similar encounters. Earlier this year, South Korea deployed fighter jets after Russian aircraft flew into its ADIZ.
A Joint Chiefs of Staff official noted that Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ near Ulleung Island and Dokdo, while Chinese aircraft approached near Ieodo, a submerged rock south of Jeju Island that is contested between Seoul and Beijing. Afterward, aircraft from both countries regrouped near Japan’s Tsushima Island.
South Korea’s defense ministry reaffirmed on Wednesday that the military “will respond firmly and in accordance with international law to aircraft activities by neighboring countries inside the KADIZ.”
Dokdo islands are claimed by both South Korea and Japan, while Ieodo remains a point of dispute between Seoul and Beijing, as both have included the area within their respective air defense zones.
China confirmed on Wednesday that its air force had conducted a joint patrol with Russia over the East China Sea and the Western Pacific, describing it as part of an annual cooperation plan aimed at addressing regional challenges and maintaining stability.
Since 2019, China and Russia have repeatedly entered South Korea’s ADIZ without prior notification, often during joint military drills. Russia, for its part, does not recognize the South Korean ADIZ, calling it “unilaterally declared” and therefore not legally binding.
