[Editorial] Russia should apologize immediately for violating Korean air space

Posted on : 2019-07-24 16:02 KST Modified on : 2019-07-24 16:02 KST
A Russian A-50 fighter jet
A Russian A-50 fighter jet

On July 23, a Russian military aircraft violated South Korean airspace near Dokdo. A South Korean Air Force fighter reportedly made a sortie and fired warning shots in response. While foreign military aircraft have often entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), this violation of sovereign airspace is a first. In contrast with KADIZ, territorial airspace is inviolable, with exclusive South Korean sovereign jurisdiction recognized there by international law. Russia should immediately apologize for violating our airspace and pledge to ensure it does not happen again.

In response to the incident, Japan apparently protested to South Korea and Russia that “such actions must not occur in our territory.” We cannot contain our anger over this brazen attempt to take advantage of South Korea and Russia’s dispute to claim possession of Dokdo. Japan’s behavior in stealthily inserting itself in this way is reckless and quite dangerous. In addition to Russia’s violation of our airspace, the South Korean government should also respond sternly to Japan’s remarks.

 the same kind that violated Korean air space near Dokdo on July 23. (Yonhap News)
the same kind that violated Korean air space near Dokdo on July 23. (Yonhap News)

Immediately after the Russian military aircraft’s airspace violation, National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong reportedly called Russian Federal Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev to warn that Seoul was “taking the incident extremely seriously” and would “implement far more forceful measures if this occurs again.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Russian and Chinese ambassadors to South Korea to protest. This was a reasonable response.

According to an explanation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two Chinese and two Russian bombers flew over the East Sea that morning, entering KADIZ before flying back out. Shortly afterwards, a Russian A-50 early warning and control aircraft approached from the east and violated sovereign airspace near Dokdo. A South Korean Air Force fighter reportedly responded with warning shots using around 20 missile flares and 360 machine gun rounds. It’s chilling to think what might have happened if things had escalated into a physical clash between the two aircraft. It goes without saying that responsibility for this crisis lies with Russia, which violated another country’s airspace. The Russian military aircraft violated our airspace twice in seven minutes – retreating in response to the South Korean fighter’s warning shots only to enter again – which leads us to believe this may have been intentional.

The conflict in Northeast Asia between the US/Japan and China/Russia has been intensifying lately. Frictions are also intensifying between South Korea and Japan. The risk is that a minor, unanticipated clash will escalate into a military conflict. Russia and China should steer clear of doing anything that threatens security in Northeast Asia. Japan, for its part, needs to stop pointlessly stirring up conflict.

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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