The DAPA is pursuing a plan to name the second Korean-style fighter KF-21 as the 'Jung Kwang-seon-gi'.
Specifically, at the expanded executive meeting of the DAPA on the 22nd of last month, Commissioner Kang Eun-ho said, "Review how to institutionalize KF-21 Unit 2 as 'Jeong Gwang-seon Flag'", and "If it cannot be officially named, the report document within the DAPA says ' Report to Jung Kwang-seon.”
Mr. Jeong Gwang-sun is a reserve brigadier general who has been the head of the Korean Air Fighter Division of the Korea Defense Agency from March 2016 to the present.
The KF-21 was named Boramae at a release ceremony attended by President Moon Jae-in in April.
The official name is KF-21 Boramae.
Nevertheless, Unit 2 is called 'KF-21 Jeong Gwangseon'.
Traps are sometimes called by names of great men.
Fighters don't usually have names like this.
Moreover, it would be the first time in world fighter history to name a specific extant official.
The DAPA praised Indonesia's renegotiation of the KF-21 joint development contribution and explained that it was named as a way to boost employee morale.
I don't know if the DAPA appreciates the hard work of Director Jeong Gwang-seon, but because the arming plan of the Korean-style fighter project group is not solid, there are concerns about "fighters without arms" and "empty planes" from the mouths of Kang Eun-ho, director of the DAPA and Park Jong-seung, director of the Defense Science Research Institute.
The renegotiation of Indonesia's contribution is not only very incomplete, but also potentially costly.
There are many negative voices in the name of 'KF-21 Jeong Gwang-seon' not only from the Ministry of National Defense and Air Force, but also from within the DAPA.
DJ and KAI…
"Don't be joking", "It's bizarre", "I did but now...", "I'm ashamed of others", "Is the KF-21 belonging to the DA?"...
This morning, when I delivered the news of 'KF-21 Jeong Gwang-seon' to officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Defense Agency, the Air Force, and the Korea Aerospace Industries, KAI, these are the immediate answers.
If you are going to give the KF-21 Unit 2 a nickname, then the late former President Kim Dae-jung, who first created the Boramae project, is suitable.
Without the will of former President Kim Dae-jung, the KF-21 would not have even been born.
My name is 'KF-21 DJ'.
Otherwise, the name should be given to KAI, who developed the prototypes in a state of nothingness.
'KF-21 KAI-men' is like this.
The road ahead of the KF-21 is accelerating.
The AESA radar is also walking on thin ice.
I'm talking now, but in the second half of last year, there was an accident where the TR module, the eye of the radar, burned in a pile.
Arming is a bigger problem.
I am concerned about when we will be able to equip long-range air-to-air missiles as well as long-range air-to-air missiles.
So, Commissioner Kang Eun-ho and Director Park Jong-seung of the National Defense Science Research Institute expressed deep concerns in the last National Audit.
All of these tasks are the responsibility of the Korean Air Fighter Project Group of the DAPA.
So the naming scheme for 'KF-21 Jeong Gwang-seon' seems overly frivolous.
He praised himself for renegotiating with Indonesia.
High-ranking officials of the DAPA are very good at self-congratulations. When the renegotiation of the Korea-Indonesia KF-21 development contribution was reached on the 11th of last month, Commissioner Kang Eun-ho said, "I am 120% satisfied." In response, Jeong Gwang-seon, the head of the Korean fighter jet project division, told reporters on the 15th of last month, "Director Kang Eun-ho worked hard from the time he was deputy chief, so there was a quick result." No one mentioned the hard work of the Defense Minister and Air Force Chief of Staff who contacted and persuaded the Indonesian Ministry of National Defense and Air Force whenever possible.
30% of Indonesia's contribution of 1.6 trillion won will be received in kind. It has not been decided whether to accept palm oil or sugar cane, and it is unclear at what price and where it will be sold. Achieving the renegotiation of the contribution is not a lethal achievement. There was no consensus on interest on outstanding payments.
Even though it could never be a successful negotiation, General Manager Jeong Gwang-seon praised Commissioner Kang Eun-ho. Is it an example of this when Commissioner Kang Eun-ho asked to call KF-21 Unit 2 'Gwangseon Jeong'? An official from the Bangsa Agency said, "Eunho Kang and Gwang-seon Jeong did not have a good relationship even during the time of former President Wang Jeong-hong."
If the DAPA calls it 'KF-21 Jeong Gwang-seon', then 'Super-eul' KAI should also call it that way.
In this way, 'KF-21 Jeong Gwang-seon' will become popular.
The KF-21 is not a business of the Korea Defense Agency, nor is it a business of the Korean Fighter Group.
It is a national project where the Air Force, Defense Science Research Institute, and KAI put their life and death on their backs with the support of the entire nation.
In order to give it a name, it must first elicit a national consensus.
It is not a matter for Commissioner Kang and the expanded executive meeting of the DAPA to decide.