A Chinese airline flight carrying 21 South Koreans accidentally entered North Korean airspace, a mistake that has only now been reported.
According to a report from JTBC’s Newsroom on Thursday, the incident occurred on July 15 at approximately 3:10 p.m. A China Eastern Airlines passenger jet, which had taken off from Qingdao International Airport around 1 p.m., was en route to Incheon International Airport when the mishap occurred.
Just before its scheduled landing, the plane unexpectedly veered north, crossing into North Korean airspace.
A Control Tower and Pilot Error: Left or Right?
Initially, the aircraft appeared to turn as if preparing to land. However, it continued to fly northward, crossing the Northern Limit Line (NLL) and entering North Korean airspace. The plane remained there for about two minutes before the pilot realized the mistake and quickly adjusted course.
The reason for the error was surprising. According to South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Incheon control tower had instructed the pilot in English to turn right as the plane approached the airport.
However, the pilot mistakenly believed the instruction was to turn left, repeating “left” five times. The control tower, in turn, misunderstood the pilot’s response. By the time the error was realized, the aircraft—flying at 286 miles per hour—had already crossed into North Korean airspace. The flight carried 21 South Korean nationals at the time.
Despite the gravity of the situation, South Korean authorities did not impose any penalties, considering it a simple mistake. They later recommended using international aviation standard terminology, such as “Romeo” for right and “Lima” for left, to avoid future misunderstandings with similar-sounding words.
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