South Korea scrambled fighter jets after seven Russian and two Chinese military aircraft briefly entered its Korea Air Defense Identification Zone at about 10 a.m. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the aircraft were identified before entry and that jets were dispatched; no sovereign airspace was violated. The planes remained in the KADIZ for about an hour. China and Russia have conducted similar unnotified entries since 2019, including an 11-plane incursion in November 2024.
South Korea Scrambles Jets After Nine Russian, Chinese Aircraft Enter Air Defense Zone
05:00 PM, 12/09/2025
South Korea's air force scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday morning after nine military aircraft from Russia and China briefly entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), military officials said.
At about 10 a.m., seven Russian and two Chinese planes were detected over waters to the east and south of the Korean Peninsula, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a text message to reporters. The aircraft left the area after roughly an hour.
"Our military identified the Chinese and Russian military aircraft before they entered the KADIZ and deployed air force fighter jets to take tactical measures in preparation for any contingency," the JCS said. The statement added there was no violation of South Korea's sovereign airspace.
What Is The KADIZ?
An air defense identification zone is not the same as a country's territorial airspace. It is a broader area where a state asks foreign aircraft to identify themselves for security and monitoring purposes.
China and Russia have flown into the KADIZ without prior notification on multiple occasions since 2019, often during joint aerial exercises. The most recent comparable incident occurred in November 2024, when 11 military planes from the two countries entered the zone.
A military official told Yonhap News Agency that the Russian and Chinese aircraft spent about an hour in the KADIZ on Tuesday. South Korean jets were scrambled to monitor and take tactical measures, but no confrontations or airspace incursions were reported.
Sources: Joint Chiefs of Staff (via text message), Yonhap News Agency
Similar Articles
Japan and Australia Urge Restraint After Chinese Fighter Locks Radar on Japanese Jets
Japan formally protested after a Chinese J-15 fighter intermittently locked its radar on Japanese F-15s near Okinawa, calling...
Japan Scrambles Jets After Suspected Chinese Drone Near Yonaguni as Tensions With Beijing Escalate
Japan scrambled jets after detecting a suspected Chinese drone near Yonaguni and reported Chinese coast guard vessels in wate...
Military Drones Breach Dublin No‑Fly Zone and Approach Zelensky’s Plane, Officials Say
Four to five military‑grade drones breached a declared no‑fly zone over Dublin and approached the area where President Volody...
China-Tokyo Showdown After Reported Radar 'Lock' Near Okinawa — Tensions Fueled by Taiwan Remarks
Japan says Chinese J-15 fighters twice illuminated Japanese F-15s with fire-control radar near Okinawa on Dec. 6, an action T...
Satellite Images Expose Massive Chinese Naval Build-Up Across Disputed Waters
Satellite images show a concentrated Chinese naval force operating across disputed waters from the Yellow Sea to the Philippi...
NATO Scrambles Jets Over Poland and Romania After Large Russian Missile and Drone Assault on Ukraine
Russia launched a major missile-and-drone attack on Ukraine , reportedly using hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that...
Investigations Underway After Unidentified Drones Spotted Off Dublin and France's Ile Longue
Investigations are underway in Ireland and France after multiple unidentified drones were spotted off Dublin and near the Ile...
NATO Scrambles Jets Over Poland and Romania as Russia Launches Massive Missile-and-Drone Assault on Ukraine
NATO scrambled jets over Poland and Romania after Russia launched a major missile-and-drone assault on Ukraine, killing at le...
Seoul Says Scaling Back U.S.-South Korea Drills Could Be Discussed To Restart Talks With North Korea
South Korea's Unification Ministry said on Dec. 8 that reducing the scale of U.S.-South Korea military exercises could be dis...
On the Frontline: Taiwan Coastguard Confronts Intensifying Chinese Patrols Around Kinmen
What happened: Taiwan's coastguard is monitoring a rising number of China Coast Guard patrols near Kinmen, a chain of islands...
Skies at Stake: How the U.S. and China Are Racing for Air Dominance in the Pacific
Quick summary: The United States and China are racing to control the skies over the Pacific by taking different approaches: t...
North Korean Troops Deployed to Kursk to Clear Dense Minefields, Deepening Moscow–Pyongyang Military Ties
Overview: North Korean troops have been sent to the Kursk region to assist Russian forces in clearing dense minefields left a...
South Korea Proposes Military Talks to Clarify Border and Prevent Accidental Clash
South Korea has proposed military talks with North Korea to clarify the disputed military demarcation line and reduce the ris...
Seoul Confirms Six Citizens Detained in North Korea; Vows to Press for Dialogue
South Korea has confirmed that six of its citizens have been detained in North Korea, with arrests reported between 2013 and ...
Royal Navy Shadows Two Russian Vessels Near English Channel as NATO Assumes Watch
The Royal Navy shadowed Russian corvette RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya for about two weeks in the Dover Strait before NATO as...