More than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) on Friday, prompting South Korea’s military to scramble fighter jets and monitor the situation.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the aircraft entered the East Sea and South Sea sections of the KADIZ before later exiting the zone. The military said none of the aircraft violated South Korea’s territorial airspace.
The JCS said South Korean forces detected and tracked the aircraft before they entered the air defence zone and deployed Air Force fighter jets to carry out tactical measures in preparation for any potential contingency.
The aircraft involved were identified as a mix of Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets participating in ongoing joint aerial exercises between the two countries.
The incident marks the first joint Chinese-Russian entry into the KADIZ since December 2025, when nine military aircraft from both countries also entered and later exited the zone during combined training operations.
An Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is a designated area beyond a country’s sovereign airspace where approaching aircraft are identified and monitored for security purposes. Entering an ADIZ does not constitute a violation of national airspace, but international practice generally expects military aircraft to notify the relevant authorities or submit flight plans before entering the zone.
The latest operation comes amid continued military cooperation between China and Russia and heightened security concerns in Northeast Asia. South Korea routinely monitors such flights and responds by deploying aircraft to ensure the protection of its airspace.
