27 February 2026

USFK Aerial Encounter With China Underlines the Hidden Danger of OPCON Transfer

James JB Park

In the current structure of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) and its operational planning architecture, unilateral military actions that risk unnecessary third-party escalation – particularly involving China or Russia – are exceedingly rare. The system is deliberately designed to ensure tight coordination, strategic clarity, and alliance cohesion.

Yet on February 19, an unprecedented exercise unfolded: dozens of United States Forces Korea (USFK) fighter jets patrolled the overlapping zones of South Korea’s and China’s Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) over the West Sea (Yellow Sea). The move, widely interpreted as directed at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), led to a China-U.S. aerial standoff.

No comments: