Seoul summons Chinese officials in protest against Chinese warplane trespassing into KADIZ
- 6 years ago
South Korean military authorities have summoned Chinese military officials in protest against the recent entrance of a Chinese warplane into South Korea's air defense identification zone.
Seoul stressed that such acts raise unnecessary tension in the region.
Oh Jung-hee reports from Seoul's defense ministry.
South Korea has lodged a strong complaint with China after one of its warplanes entered South Korea's air defense identification zone.
On Tuesday, a Chinese reconnaissance plane flew in South Korea's air defense ID zone for over four hours,... even flying close to South Korea's territorial waters.
Later in the day, South Korea's defense ministry summoned three Chinese military officials in Seoul to protest the act... and stressed that unannounced entrances can raise unnecessary tension in the region.
The foreign ministry called in the Chinese ambassador to South Korea and expressed its regret.
This marks the second time this year that a Chinese warplane has flown into South Korea's air defense zone,...the first happening in late January.
On Tuesday, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff,... the plane entered the zone at 9:34 AM,... and later came within 56 kilometers of Ulleung-do Island in the East Sea -- before flying out of the zone at 2:01 PM.
This prompted South Korea to dispatch fighter jets,... including F-15Ks and KF-16s,... to monitor the plane's activity.
Seoul also sent a direct warning to the pilot... and called on China via the two countries' hotline... to stop acts that could trigger accidental conflicts.
Beijing claimed it was part of a routine exercise.
But Seoul's military authorities said Tuesday's flight was "unusual" and that it could affect South Korean military activities... as they were likely sent to collect data.
Chinese military planes have entered South Korea's air defense zone multiple times since China unilaterally declared its own such zone in 2013 -- with some parts overlapping with that of Korea's and Japan's.
But their flights had remained south of the peninsula until now,... which is why Seoul's military authorities saw Tuesday's flight as "threatening."
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
Seoul stressed that such acts raise unnecessary tension in the region.
Oh Jung-hee reports from Seoul's defense ministry.
South Korea has lodged a strong complaint with China after one of its warplanes entered South Korea's air defense identification zone.
On Tuesday, a Chinese reconnaissance plane flew in South Korea's air defense ID zone for over four hours,... even flying close to South Korea's territorial waters.
Later in the day, South Korea's defense ministry summoned three Chinese military officials in Seoul to protest the act... and stressed that unannounced entrances can raise unnecessary tension in the region.
The foreign ministry called in the Chinese ambassador to South Korea and expressed its regret.
This marks the second time this year that a Chinese warplane has flown into South Korea's air defense zone,...the first happening in late January.
On Tuesday, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff,... the plane entered the zone at 9:34 AM,... and later came within 56 kilometers of Ulleung-do Island in the East Sea -- before flying out of the zone at 2:01 PM.
This prompted South Korea to dispatch fighter jets,... including F-15Ks and KF-16s,... to monitor the plane's activity.
Seoul also sent a direct warning to the pilot... and called on China via the two countries' hotline... to stop acts that could trigger accidental conflicts.
Beijing claimed it was part of a routine exercise.
But Seoul's military authorities said Tuesday's flight was "unusual" and that it could affect South Korean military activities... as they were likely sent to collect data.
Chinese military planes have entered South Korea's air defense zone multiple times since China unilaterally declared its own such zone in 2013 -- with some parts overlapping with that of Korea's and Japan's.
But their flights had remained south of the peninsula until now,... which is why Seoul's military authorities saw Tuesday's flight as "threatening."
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.