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Jan. 29 (UPI) -- South Korea scrambled fighter jets after a Chinese military aircraft trespassed into the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone, or KADIZ, according to Seoul. South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said one Chinese aircraft entered territorial airspace, local newspaper Asia Business reported Monday.
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"Today at 9:30 a.m. we detected a military aircraft of Chinese origin entering the KADIZ from the southwest side, near Ieodo Island," the joint chiefs stated, according to Yonhap.
"We immediately deployed our air force fighters."
Ieodo Island, or Socotra Rock, is a submerged rock in the Yellow Sea that is also claimed by China.
The joint chiefs added the Chinese plane left KADIZ at 9:55 a.m., then cruised through Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone, or JADIZ.
The Chinese aircraft left both airspaces by 2:05 p.m., Seoul said.
South Korea stated they are still investigating the incursion, but the Chinese plane is either a Shaanxi Y-8, a medium-size transport aircraft, or an electronic warfare plane.
"We are still confirming the exact model," Seoul said.
The joint chiefs of staff also said South Korean fighter jets were deployed until the "final departure" of the Chinese plane and conducted surveillance flights and "regular tactical measures."
The incident marks the first Chinese military incursion into South Korean airspace in 40 days
On Dec. 18, South Korea scrambled fighter jets after five Chinese military aircraft entered the country's Air Defense Identification Zone.
