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10 Air Force personnel disciplined after entering Japan unauthorized

Published: 31 Aug. 2025, 17:14 Updated: 31 Aug. 2025, 17:15

A C-130 transport plane lands at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 18. [NEWS1]

The Defense Ministry ordered disciplinary action for 10 Korean Air Force personnel and issued warnings after a C-130 transport plane entered Japan’s air defense identification zone without authorization on July 13, an incident that led Japan to scramble fighter jets.

"We confirmed problems in mission execution during the C-130's emergency landing at Kadena Air Base, including coordination for transiting Japanese airspace and reporting through the chain of command, and we took steps including disciplinary requests, warnings and cautions," the ministry said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on July 13. A Korea Air Force C-130 bound for Guam on a training flight failed to secure clearance to transit Japanese airspace, then diverted and faced fuel concerns.

The crew moved to land at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The pilot advised Japanese controllers of a “precautionary landing,” but controllers did not understand the term, and the aircraft entered Japan’s air defense identification zone without advance approval, prompting a fighter scramble.

In later radio contact, Japanese controllers asked the pilot to issue a “Mayday” call. The pilot complied and received clearance to land.

“The term ‘Mayday’ applies when an aircraft needs rescue due to a defect or other urgent situation, but our situation involved a precautionary landing because of fuel concerns,” the Air Force said. “Air forces internationally use the term ‘precautionary landing,’ so the pilot used it.”

The case underscores how differences between international radiotelephony and internal military terminology can create confusion and has prompted calls for procedural and communication fixes.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]