Ekip
18 December 2017•Update: 18 December 2017
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
South Korea’s military on Monday said it is analyzing the “intention” of China’s five warplanes that entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ).
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) revealed the bombers, fighter jets and a reconnaissance plane were spotted entering the zone at 10.10 a.m. (01:10 GMT) and they did not leave until over three and a half hours later.
The South responded by scrambling its own fighter jets, which took “tactical measures” without physically clashing with the Chinese aircraft, according to the JCS.
"We talked with the Chinese side over a hotline and it said the operation was part of a routine exercise," a JCS official was quoted as saying by local news agency Yonhap.
“We are analyzing its exact intention,” the official added.
The issue of airspace and exclusive economic zones has long been contentious in the region, with China, South Korea and Japan making conflicting territorial claims.
Monday’s incident could drive tensions at a time of great sensitivity when China has been concerned over American military assets being deployed to the South, including the anti-missile system known as THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense).
This year alone, the U.S. has repeatedly sent powerful strategic bombers over the peninsula to deter North Korea amid Pyongyang’s rogue development of nuclear weapons.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in was in China last week to mend rifts that have manifested themselves in months of unofficial Chinese sanctions against the South.
Moon insisted Monday the visit “produced substantial achievements” by laying the groundwork for the normalization of relations.
