The South Korean Air Force said Friday that a transport aircraft bound for Guam urgently landed at the U.S. Air Force's Kadena base in Okinawa Prefecture on July 13 as it ran out of fuel.
The South Korean military transport aircraft is believed to have entered Japan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) without prior notice, causing the Air Self-Defense Force aircraft to scramble.
South Korea's Defense Ministry has launched an audit of its air force on the matter.
On July 13, the South Korean aircraft was heading to Guam for multinational joint air training. It took a detour due to abnormal weather, however, consumed more fuel than expected, declared an emergency and landed and refueled at the Kadena base, before joining the training.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference Friday that it was "regrettable" that the developments led to the SDF's scrambling.
"We have urged the South Korean government to take measures to prevent a recurrence of such cases," Hayashi added.
A South Korean military official acknowledged flaws in procedures for obtaining clearance to pass through Japan's ADIZ. The official emphasized that the air force will firmly observe procedures and make cross-checks obligatory to prevent similar incidents.
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