KF-16 pilot named this year's Top Gun

Republic of Korea Air Force 38th Fighter Group pilot Major Kim Sang-won poses in front of a KF-16 fighter at the group's base in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Dec. 14. / Yonhap

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) 38th Fighter Group pilot Major Kim Sang-won was named as the 2017 Top Gun, the annual award for the Air Force’s top ace.

According to the ROKAF, it held an award event last week for this year’s air combat contest at the Air Force Club in Seoul.

During the contest, the KF-16 fighter jet pilot proved his mettle by hitting a 4-meter radius ground target from a 6-kilometer altitude and swiftly slipping through the red zone. Kim received 995 points out of 1,000 during the contest to claim the much-envied honor.

Entering the Air Force Academy in 1999, Kim received a commissioned education from the U.S. Air Force Academy for four years after completing a one-year course in Korea. He was also nominated as one of the top 10 percent academy graduates in the United States.

Kim also topped the ROKAF pilot education course after being commissioned, and finally became a KF-16 jet pilot in 2006. He has flown about 1,500 hours throughout his pilot career, including 1,200 hours with his KF-16 jet.

“As a pilot, it is the greatest honor to become the ROKAF Top Gun,” Kim said. “I dedicate this honor to colleague pilots in the 38th Fighter Group and my family.”

Kim added he will donate 3 million won of the prize money to family members of fallen pilots who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Over 140 pilots from the nation’s seven air fighter groups participated in this year’s contest.

“This year’s air contest demonstrated the ROKAF’s dedication to the nation’s call of duty,” ROKAF Chief of Staff Lee Wang-geun said during the award ceremony. “The ROKAF will continue to fulfill its duty to protect the nation’s airspace.”