Nine military aircraft from Russia and China entered the Republic of Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) on Tuesday (December 9). The Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense lodged a solemn protest with China and Russia through diplomatic channels.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, Lee Kwang-seok, Director of International Policy at the ROK Ministry of National Defense, called the defense attachés of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul and the Russian Embassy in Seoul on the morning of Wednesday (December 10) to protest the incident.

The ROK Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the ROK military will actively respond to the activities of neighboring countries’ military aircraft in the KADIZ on the premise of abiding by international law.

Earlier, the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that seven Russian military aircraft and two Chinese military aircraft flew into the KADIZ over Ulleung Island and Dokdo in the East Sea, as well as the KADIZ over Ieodo in the South Sea, at around 10:00 a.m. local time (9:00 a.m. Singapore time) on Tuesday. The Chinese and Russian military aircraft later rendezvoused over Tsushima Island.

The ROK military detected the relevant movements before the Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ and scrambled air force fighter jets to respond in case of emergencies.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), since 2019, China and Russia have regularly entered the ROK KADIZ without prior notification, often under the pretext of joint military exercises. In November last year, Seoul scrambled fighter jets in an emergency in response to the incursion of five Chinese military aircraft and six Russian military aircraft into the KADIZ. Similar incidents also occurred in June and December 2023, as well as in May and November 2022.

Nine military aircraft from Russia and China entered the Republic of Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) on Tuesday (December 9). The Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense lodged a solemn protest with China and Russia through diplomatic channels.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, Lee Kwang-seok, Director of International Policy at the ROK Ministry of National Defense, called the defense attachés of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul and the Russian Embassy in Seoul on the morning of Wednesday (December 10) to protest the incident.

The ROK Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the ROK military will actively respond to the activities of neighboring countries’ military aircraft in the KADIZ on the premise of abiding by international law.

Earlier, the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that seven Russian military aircraft and two Chinese military aircraft flew into the KADIZ over Ulleung Island and Dokdo in the East Sea, as well as the KADIZ over Ieodo in the South Sea, at around 10:00 a.m. local time (9:00 a.m. Singapore time) on Tuesday. The Chinese and Russian military aircraft later rendezvoused over Tsushima Island.

The ROK military detected the relevant movements before the Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ and scrambled air force fighter jets to respond in case of emergencies.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), since 2019, China and Russia have regularly entered the ROK KADIZ without prior notification, often under the pretext of joint military exercises. In November last year, Seoul scrambled fighter jets in an emergency in response to the incursion of five Chinese military aircraft and six Russian military aircraft into the KADIZ. Similar incidents also occurred in June and December 2023, as well as in May and November 2022.