DAPA chief faces investigation over controversial choppers

By Jun Ji-hye

The nation’s arms procurement agency had pushed for the deployment of the Surion utility helicopters despite a series of defects including engine problems, the state auditor announced Sunday.

This raised a suspicion that the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has attempted to cover up for Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the nation’s sole aircraft maker that developed the chopper, to maintain the Surion project in which 1.2 trillion won ($1 billion) was invested.

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) said it has asked state prosecutors to investigate DAPA chief Chang Myoung-jin and two other working-level officials for dereliction of duty.

BAI spokesman Chun Kwang-choon said the Surion chopper fell short in 29 out of 101 categories on the safety test to see whether it can withstand the tough conditions of winter.

The results of the test suggest the possibility that lumps of ice could enter the engine through the air intake, which could cause serious safety issues, Chun noted.

“The DAPA resumed work to deploy the choppers in December 2016, citing the need to maintain DAPA personnel and replace aging helicopters, although the fatal defects had not been resolved,” Chun said.

The announcement came two days after prosecutors searched KAI headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and its office in Seoul on allegations of corruption in a set of major defense projects.

The investigators said they are paying attention to the allegations that the company inflated expenses for developing military aircraft, pocketing illicit gains in the process.