(From left) File photos of South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek, Commander of US Forces Korea, Xavier T. Brunson, and South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung. Photos: VCG

South Korean military authorities lodged protests and expressed concerns through various means after US Forces Korea fighter jets conducted large-scale drills in sensitive airspace near China's air defense identification zone without prior information sharing, prompting Xavier T. Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea (USFK), to convey his willingness to apologize and halt the exercise early, according to exclusive reporting by MBC on Monday night. 

MBC also learned that the air drills, originally scheduled to run for four days from the February 18 to 21, were hastily stopped after just two days, a result of South Korean military authorities mobilizing both military and diplomatic channels to effectively request that USFK halt the exercises upon confirming the situation.

Previously, the Global Times learned from sources on Friday that the US military recently organized aircraft to conduct activities in the airspace facing China over the Yellow Sea. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), in accordance with laws and regulations, organized naval and air forces to conduct monitoring and alerting throughout the entire process, and effectively responded to and handled the situation.

A Chinese expert analyzed that South Korea's pressure through diplomatic and military channels essentially aims to draw a bottom line, which is that USFK's activities should not undermine South Korea's own security interests.

According to South Korean local media the Asia Business Daily on Saturday, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung, after being briefed on the situation, reportedly protested to the USFK commander during a call that the drills had proceeded in sensitive airspace without prior information sharing.

At a briefing Monday, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na confirmed that the minister had spoken by phone with Brunson but said it would be inappropriate to disclose details of the conversation, according to the MBC News.

MBC's report also noted that during the two days before the drills were halted early, US Forces Korea fighter jets flew more than 170 sorties from Osan Air Base.

The US military's excessive actions fully expose that it has never truly treated South Korea as a sovereign state, and such moves by US Forces Korea heightened regional tensions, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told Global Times on Monday. 

Song added that South Korea's response reflects its real concerns about being drawn into regional military confrontation. The standoff between Chinese and US fighter jets touched on one of Seoul's most sensitive issues — namely that the actions of US Forces Korea could effectively bind South Korea into conflicts.