Beijing's action seen as protest to THAAD deployment
By Jun Ji-hye
Chinese military aircraft entered Korea's air defense zone near Jeju Island dozens of times last year in an apparent show of force against neighboring countries, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Tuesday.
Ten planes including six bombers entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) over Ieodo, a submerged rock controlled by Korea, without prior notification, Monday.
The planes flew into the KADIZ several times from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., prompting Seoul to counter by sending 10 fighter jets including F-15Ks and KF-16s to the area. Also, eight of the Chinese planes flew into the Japanese Air Defense Identification Zone (JADIZ), according to NHK.
The Chinese action might be the latest in a series of retaliatory steps against Korea's decision to allow the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system here, observers said.
Situated about 149 kilometers southwest of Jeju Island, Ieodo is an area where the air defense zones of Korea, China and Japan overlap.
In November 2013, China unilaterally expanded its own zone to cover the airspace over Ieodo and other islands off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula. In December of the same year, Korea announced an expansion of the KADIZ to counter the Chinese move, which also included airspace over Ieodo and the southern islands of Marado and Hongdo.
In response to the Air Force's warning messages, China said the flights were part of a military drill in its own air defense zone, the JCS said.
But military authorities and experts here are looking into the possibility that Beijing is deliberately staging an armed protest to express its dissatisfaction over its territorial dispute with Japan in the South China Sea as well as recent developments in the military alliance between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
A JCS official said on condition of anonymity that it is very rare for multiple aircraft including six bombers to cross into the overlapping zones.
"In the past, only a small number of bombers entered the KADIZ," he said, adding that, "The JCS is currently analyzing the intentions of this latest intrusion."
In August last year, three Chinese military planes including one bomber entered the zone. At the time, the Korean Air Force dispatched four F-15K fighter jets to expel the intruders.
An air defense identification zone is airspace over land or water that a country establishes to indentify and control possibly hostile aircraft in the interests of national security. The concept of an ADIZ is different from that of territorial airspace, and is not defined in any international treaty. This raises the possibility of accidental clashes between countries.
Since the KADIZ was expanded three years ago to counter any Chinese moves, the government has expressed its willingness to effectively control the overlapping zones.
But observers noted that Beijing's incursions will be repeated amid deepening conflict between China and Korea over the THAAD deployment.
Beijing has taken various retaliatory actions against the deployment including banning K-pop and K-drama stars, and reducing bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
Popular South Korean entertainers have been virtually banned from performing in China since late last year. Beijing also abruptly banned South Korean airlines from operating chartered flights between the two countries beginning this month.
By Jun Ji-hye
Chinese military aircraft entered Korea's air defense zone near Jeju Island dozens of times last year in an apparent show of force against neighboring countries, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Tuesday.
Ten planes including six bombers entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) over Ieodo, a submerged rock controlled by Korea, without prior notification, Monday.
The planes flew into the KADIZ several times from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., prompting Seoul to counter by sending 10 fighter jets including F-15Ks and KF-16s to the area. Also, eight of the Chinese planes flew into the Japanese Air Defense Identification Zone (JADIZ), according to NHK.
The Chinese action might be the latest in a series of retaliatory steps against Korea's decision to allow the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system here, observers said.
Situated about 149 kilometers southwest of Jeju Island, Ieodo is an area where the air defense zones of Korea, China and Japan overlap.
In November 2013, China unilaterally expanded its own zone to cover the airspace over Ieodo and other islands off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula. In December of the same year, Korea announced an expansion of the KADIZ to counter the Chinese move, which also included airspace over Ieodo and the southern islands of Marado and Hongdo.
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In response to the Air Force's warning messages, China said the flights were part of a military drill in its own air defense zone, the JCS said.
But military authorities and experts here are looking into the possibility that Beijing is deliberately staging an armed protest to express its dissatisfaction over its territorial dispute with Japan in the South China Sea as well as recent developments in the military alliance between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
A JCS official said on condition of anonymity that it is very rare for multiple aircraft including six bombers to cross into the overlapping zones.
"In the past, only a small number of bombers entered the KADIZ," he said, adding that, "The JCS is currently analyzing the intentions of this latest intrusion."
In August last year, three Chinese military planes including one bomber entered the zone. At the time, the Korean Air Force dispatched four F-15K fighter jets to expel the intruders.
An air defense identification zone is airspace over land or water that a country establishes to indentify and control possibly hostile aircraft in the interests of national security. The concept of an ADIZ is different from that of territorial airspace, and is not defined in any international treaty. This raises the possibility of accidental clashes between countries.
Since the KADIZ was expanded three years ago to counter any Chinese moves, the government has expressed its willingness to effectively control the overlapping zones.
But observers noted that Beijing's incursions will be repeated amid deepening conflict between China and Korea over the THAAD deployment.
Beijing has taken various retaliatory actions against the deployment including banning K-pop and K-drama stars, and reducing bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
Popular South Korean entertainers have been virtually banned from performing in China since late last year. Beijing also abruptly banned South Korean airlines from operating chartered flights between the two countries beginning this month.
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