S.Korea Drives Chinese Military Jets Out Of Its Airspace

Two Chinese military planes is said to have entered the overlapping air defense identification zone of South Korea and China on January 31, South Korean authorities said Tuesday, prompting them to scramble fighter jets.  

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu, the Chinese jets entered the zone near Jeju Island and flew out of it after a warning message by South Korea.

"We took necessary surveillance and tactical measures adequately," he was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

The ministry put fighter jets on standby in case the Chinese planes intruded into South Korean territory, he added.

The incident occurred amid a burgeoning stand-off between the Northeast Asian neighbors over the possibility that Seoul will introduce the advanced U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, according to Yonhap.

The Pentagon wants to deploy the THAAD unit on the peninsula, citing North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats. But China is fiercely opposed to the plan, saying it is apparently aimed at curbing China's military influence.