The photo shows the South Korean Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team performing during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on October 19. (Photo courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s elite Air Force aerobatic team, the Black Eagles, will not participate in this month’s Dubai Airshow after Japan refused to allow the team’s jets to refuel at one of its bases, citing recent training near the disputed Dokdo islets, military sources said Thursday.
According to officials, the South Korean military has effectively decided to withdraw from the event after Japan declined to reverse its position by the deadline this week. The decision ends weeks of logistical efforts to secure a refueling route for the team’s T-50B aircraft on their way to the United Arab Emirates.
Seoul and Tokyo had earlier discussed allowing the jets to stop at Japan’s Naha Air Base in Okinawa for refueling, a move that would have saved time and costs compared with previous refueling stops in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Although Japan initially appeared open to the plan, Tokyo later withdrew its approval after one of the T-50Bs conducted what South Korea described as a routine training flight near Dokdo on October 28. Japan, which claims sovereignty over the islets it calls Takeshima, objected to the flight and subsequently denied the refueling request.
With little time to arrange alternative refueling stops in Taiwan or elsewhere, the South Korean Air Force concluded it could not feasibly send the team to the airshow.
Japan’s decision reportedly came just before the first summit between President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on October 30 in Gyeongju, held on the sidelines of the APEC leaders’ meeting.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Takaichi finalized the halt on refueling support shortly before the talks, despite both leaders’ pledge to pursue “future-oriented” bilateral relations.
Asked about the issue, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said only that it had “no comment to offer.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
