SEOUL (BLOOMBERG) - A Chinese military plane entered South Korea's Air Defence Identification Zone three times on Saturday (Feb 23), prompting the Foreign Ministry to summon a Chinese embassy official, Yonhap reported.

The aircraft entered the defence zone from south-west of the Korean Peninsula at around 8.03am local time before exiting to the east around 8.27am, Yonhap said, citing Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The warplane then re-entered the country's air defence zone near Pohang city around 9.34am. The plane was spotted again inside the zone above the islets of Dokdo and Ulleungdo from 10.25am to 12.51pm.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry urged the Chinese embassy official to prevent a recurrence of the incursion into the air defence zone, Yonhap said.

It was the first time that a Chinese military plane has flown above the area around the Dokdo and Ulleungdo islets, Yonhap reported a JCS official as saying.

It was also the first time a Chinese plane has flown across South Korea to the East Sea this year, according to the official.

Chinese planes entered South Korea's air zones over the East Sea eight times last year, Yonhap said.

Chinese military aircraft have a history of entering Korea's air zones. South Korea's Defence Ministry urged China in December to come up with measures to prevent such violations from happening again.

In July, South Korea sent an F-15K fighter to monitor and issue a warning against a Chinese plane that entered its air defence zone.