US and Chinese military forces briefly faced off near the Korean Peninsula after China scrambled fighter jets in response to a large-scale US Forces Korea aerial exercise over the Yellow Sea, multiple military sources confirmed.
According to military sources on the 20th, approximately 10 USFK F-16 fighter jets departed from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on the 18th and flew to international airspace over the Yellow Sea. The aircraft flew into an area between the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) and China Air Defense Identification Zone (CADIZ) where the two zones do not overlap.
As US fighters approached near the CADIZ, China scrambled its own fighter jets. Tensions escalated as both forces briefly faced off, though neither side entered the other's air defense identification zone, sources said.
USFK notified South Korean military of the exercise in advance but did not explain the specific purpose of the flight, according to sources. For unilateral USFK exercises, training plans and objectives are sometimes not shared.
However, military analysts inside and outside the armed forces view the independent USFK Air Force exercise near the CADIZ as unusual and aimed at checking China. USFK has emphasized "strategic flexibility," arguing it should play a role in countering China beyond responding to North Korean threats.
Air defense identification zones are lines arbitrarily established to identify aerial threats early. It is customary for military aircraft to notify flight plans in advance when approaching another country's ADIZ.
Regarding this matter, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense stated, "We cannot confirm details related to USFK force operations and military operations," adding, "USFK maintains a strong combined defense posture together with our military."