South Korea declared Sunday an expanded air defence zone that overlaps with one recently announced by China and covers a submerged rock disputed by the two countries as regional tensions soar over competing territorial claims.
Seoul’s defence ministry said its new zone, which will take effect on December 15, would cover Ieodo — a submerged rock in waters off its south coast, which China calls Suyan.
The airspace above the Seoul-controlled rock — long a source of tension between South Korea and China — is also covered by Beijing’s zone.
China last month unilaterally declared an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea, asking foreign planes to identify themselves.
But the zone — which encompasses some areas currently controlled by South Korea or Japan — has drawn intense protests from the two neighbours and objections by their key allies and the United States.
“We will coordinate with related countries to fend off accidental military confrontations and to ensure safety of airplanes,” defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok said.
AFP
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