Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

On February 27, a Chinese military jet entered Republic of Korea's air defence identification zone (KADIZ). The jet approached northwest of Ulleung Island and carried out an unprecedented reconnaissance activity. The Republic of Korean military dispatched Air Force fighter jets to monitor its activity.

As reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), “The Chinese jet entered the KADIZ at around 9:34 a.m. from west of Ieodo, approached about 40 miles away from the coastline by turning its head from southeast of Busan toward the north at around 11 a.m. and flew about 30 miles toward the northwest of Ulleung Island then turned its head toward the south at around 11:34 a.m. before flying out of the KADIZ following its flight route at around 2:01 p.m.”

“After detecting this unknown airplane at the southwest area of Ieodo, our Air Force fighter jets were scrambled to monitor its activity, and we warned it to stop any act of raising tensions that could trigger an accidental conflict, using the Republic of Korea-China military hotline and the pilot's radio communication,” the JCS said. “The Republic of Korean government plans to file a strong protest with China over this reconnaissance activity in the KADIZ by a Chinese military aircraft, through various channels including the defense ministry and the foreign ministry,” the JCS added.

Chinese military jets have entered the KADIZ twice already this year since Jan. 29. Experts analyze that China's unprecedented reconnaissance activity is not a simple intrusion but has the goal of information collection. A military official commented, “It is assumed that the jet's aim was to collect information on our military operation environment.”  

Mun, Yong-seok, a reserve brigadier general, who previously served as the defense attache of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, considered the jet's activity to have been focused on the collection of electronic intelligence, explaining “it is believed that China's jets collect electronic intelligence mainly on the sea, and fly in and out of the KADIZ to collect military information from Republic of Korea and Japan.” To this, Mun added the following prediction: "China will continue such reconnaissance activity."

By Su-Yeol, Maeng <guns13@dema.mil.kr >

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