Tak Hyun-min "President Moon, the first president in history to fly a fighter jet... heart-pounding"

President Moon Flies Domestic Fighter Jet for the First Time in History

President Moon Jae-in is attending the 2021 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition ceremony on the 20th at Seoul Airport in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, riding an FA-50 light attack aircraft. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] On the 20th, President Moon Jae-in became the first president in history to board a fighter jet and fly in national airspace. Tak Hyun-min, the Blue House Protocol Secretary, expressed, "My heart was pounding."

In a post on Facebook that day, Secretary Tak said, "The moment the president boarded, the FA-50 fighter jet became 'Air Force One AIR FORCE-ONE.'"

He added, "The president personally promoted the safety and excellence of the domestically produced light attack aircraft FA-50," and said, "Although there was sufficient prior training, rehearsals, and emergency plans in place, it is true that my heart was pounding until the very last moment of takeoff. (Huff)"

That morning, President Moon appeared at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) held at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, riding the first domestically produced fighter jet, the FA-50. After boarding the FA-50 at Suwon Air Force Base, President Moon flew over Cheonan and Seoul before landing at Seoul Airport.

President Moon's direct boarding of the fighter jet appears to have been aimed at promoting the safety and excellence of the domestically produced fighter jet to the public and foreign guests. It is known that President Moon complied with the Air Force flight management policy regulations for boarding procedures and completed training on pilot and flight plans, aviation equipment usage procedures, and emergency ejection procedures prior to the flight.

In his congratulatory speech, President Moon emphasized, "Today, I flew our skies as the first president of the Republic of Korea to board a domestically produced fighter jet," and added, "I was able to personally experience the proud stature of the FA-50 developed with our technology. The FA-50 is being exported worldwide and firmly protects our airspace."