F-15K pilot named Best Pilot of 2022

Air Force Maj. Won Joong-sik was honored with the Best Pilot of 2022 award, Tuesday. Courtesy of ROK Air Force

By Lee Hyo-jin

Republic of Korea Air Force Maj. Won Joong-sik from the 122nd Fighter Squadron of the 11th Fighter Wing has been named the Best Pilot of 2022, according to the military branch.

The Air Force on Tuesday held an award ceremony at its headquarters in Gyeryongdae, South Chungcheong Province, presided over by Chief of Staff Gen. Jeong Seung-hwa.

The best pilot award is offered to an aviator who accumulates the highest scores in more than 20 duties, including flight experience, level of special qualifications, training and physical fitness. The 35-year-old earned a high score of 892.6 points out of a possible 1,000.

Won, who was commissioned in 2011, is a veteran aviator with some 1,580 hours of flying hours mostly on the F-15K Slam Eagle.

He has shown excellent performance in responding to foreign aircraft that entered Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ), and has also led the celebration flight formation in the commemoration ceremony on the Oct. 1 Armed Forces Day last year, the Air Force said. Since December, Won has been serving as the 1st cadet company commander at the Korea Air Force Academy.

He is the son of Won In-choul, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from September 2020 to July 2022.

“Winning this honor wouldn't have been possible without the help of my colleagues with whom I worked hard last year,” Won said in a statement. “And I also want to thank my wife for her love and support, as well as my daughter Ye-jin who greets me with her smile whenever I return home from work.”

He added, “I will continue to do my best to carry out my duty and defend Korea's airspace.”

Along with the Best Pilot award, the Air Force also awarded three other pilots for their stellar performance; Maj. Kwon Oh-hyun for combat missions, Maj. Park Sang-soo for pilot training and Maj. Cho Sung-moh for maneuver control.