Home > National > Defense

North, China and Russia stage shows of military force with artillery, aircraft

Published: 10 Dec. 2025, 07:00

North Korea fires artillery on May 31, 2024. [KCNA]

North Korea, China and Russia all staged shows of military force over the Yellow Sea, East Sea and South Sea on Tuesday, deploying artillery and military aircraft in separate maneuvers. The timing is notable, as tensions are rising between China and Japan, while South Korea, seeking improved ties with both, remains officially neutral.

According to a military source, North Korea fired multiple rounds of rockets into the Yellow Sea on Tuesday afternoon. The move is believed to be part of routine winter training by the North Korean military, which is currently preparing for the year-end plenary session of the Workers’ Party and the Ninth Party Congress early next year.

Earlier in the day, military aircraft from China and Russia entered Korea’s air defense identification zone (Kadiz) without prior notice. The Kadiz is a self-declared zone established to enable early identification and response to foreign aircraft approaching national airspace. While the Kadiz is not legally recognized as sovereign airspace, the customary practice is to notify the host country before entry.

“Around 10 a.m. [on Tuesday], seven Russian and two Chinese military aircraft sequentially entered and exited the Kadiz over the East Sea and South Sea," said the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). "There was no violation of South Korean airspace.” The JCS added that the military identified the aircraft before they entered the zone and deployed fighter jets to carry out tactical measures in preparation for any contingencies.

The aircraft that entered the Kadiz included bombers and fighter jets, approaching from the northeast and southeast, respectively.

Russia releases a video footage of its aircraft, along with those of China, entering Korea’s air defense identification zone on Dec. 22, 2020. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Some of the aircraft reportedly entered a section of the Kadiz overlapping with Japan’s air defense identification zone near the South Sea. According to a military source, two of four Russian aircraft that flew between Ulleung Island and Dokdo veered south and joined two Chinese aircraft over waters near Tsushima Island, where they appear to have conducted a joint air exercise before departing. In response, the South Korean Air Force scrambled F-15K fighter jets and other assets.

This was the first joint unauthorized entry by Chinese and Russian aircraft into the Kadiz since Nov. 29, 2024.

China and Russia have historically used Kadiz incursions as a strategic card during periods of regional tension. From 2019 to 2021, amid worsening Korea-Japan relations, Chinese and Russian aircraft repeatedly entered the zone to test the two countries’ responses. In 2022, they staged similar flights in coordination with U.S. President Joe Biden’s visits to Seoul and Tokyo.

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 LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]