South Korea to expand its ADIZ

December 10, 2013 December 10, 2013

The latest move in a regional struggle over airspace above the East China Sea marks the South Korea’s decision to expand its ADIZ.
China’s new air defense zone over the East China Sea is creating tensions in the world’s most geo-politically sensitive areas that includes the disputed Diaoyu or Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, which are controlled by Japan and but claimed by China, and the submerged Leodo reef, which is under South Korea’s control.

Why China’s ADIZ is fueling tensions with Japan & S.Korea ?

The new aerial zone extends into international airspace east of China’s territorial airspace into the East China Sea, and up to 130 km from Japan’s territorial airspace. The Chinese ADIZ overlaps with the ADIZ that Japan has already established in the region, with both zones covering the disputed Diaoyu or SenkakuIslands in the East China Sea.
The zone includes a rock 15 feet below the water’s surface known internationally as Socotra. The formation lies within the economic zones of both China and South Korea, and it has long been a point of modest contention between the neighbors. The rock is controlled by South Korea, where it is known as Ieodo. Seoul uses the site as an oceanic research center, having constructed an orange tower of beams and a helipad atop the rock in 2003. The research center has solar panels, wind monitors, barometric sensors and a solar radiation measurement system, and the monitoring data are displayed in real time on a government Web site.

South Korea to expand its ADIZ:

The latest move in a regional struggle over airspace above the East China Sea marks the South Korea’s decision to expand its ADIZ, it’s new zone includes two small islands and a submerged rock that is the subject of a long-running dispute with China. Korea’s latest declaration is viewed as an attempt fortify its control over parts of the East China Sea surrounding the Leodo reef, which, earlier, lay beyond the southern edge of its zone. The eastern and western limits of its ADIZ have not been expanded.
Note: Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) are not territorial claims, but they mark airspace that countries think it important to monitor.