Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hosts the '1st Korea Top Pilot Selection Competition'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 26th that it held the '1st Korea Top Pilot Selection Competition' on the 23rd.

This competition, held for the first time this year, was organized through cooperation between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Haneul Dream Foundation, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and specialized training institutions that cultivate pilot personnel.

A total of 26 representatives selected from pilot training specialized institutions nationwide participated in this selection competition. Among them, 18 who passed the first written exam underwent a second practical flight skills evaluation, and a total of six winners were selected?three each in the instructor and trainee categories.

In the trainee category, Kwon Tae-hoon from Korea Aerospace University was selected as the top pilot, and in the instructor category, Hong Seok-young from Korea Aviation Vocational School was selected.

Kwon Tae-hoon, who won first place in the trainee category, received the highest score for maintaining strong psychological composure and high concentration despite scenarios involving sudden adverse weather conditions that would have been difficult for trainees to handle.

In his acceptance speech, he said, "I feel relieved as the employment market seems to be gradually opening, but at the same time, I was worried whether I could become a pilot due to the backlog of pilot trainees over the past few years. However, through this event, I regained my confidence."

Hong Seok-young, who won first place in the instructor category, received the highest score for stable takeoff and landing maneuvers and calmly responding to unexpected situations.

The six winners were awarded prize money of △1st place 1,000,000 KRW, △2nd place 700,000 KRW, and △3rd place 500,000 KRW respectively. All finalists, including the winners, had a mentor-mentee session with active captains serving as judges from airlines.

Jung Yong-sik, Director of Aviation Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "We will expand public-private-academic cooperation to create more quality jobs in the aviation sector and provide policy support to help young aviation professionals, the future leaders of the aviation industry, grow into outstanding experts."