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 THE ROKAF AT KUNSAN AIR BASE IN THE 1970s: The 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron was the F-86F unit. (All F86Ds were gone.) The ROKAF flightline location remained unchanged with the F86Fs being maintained out of the same ROKAF hangar built in the 1950s. The enlisted men lived in Nissen quonset huts near the flightline area. Brig.Gen. Chon Sang-hwan, ROKAF (ret), wrote that he was stationed with the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Kunsan in 1975. He stated he had many memories of his time at Kunsan. The time-period he was stationed at Kunsan was a pivotal period in USAF-ROKAF relations on the base. The 8th Fighter Wing had arrived in 1974 as the first "permanent" wing (versus a succession of "caretaker" units dating back to the Korean War). However, because of the U.S. and Korea's strained relationship in the early 1970s, close ties between the ROKAF and USAF was not fostered. The problem dealt with Park Chung-hees iron-fisted rule and human rights violations. This led to a movement to remove the U.S. forces from Korea in the late 1970s under the Jimmy Carter administration. The net effect to Kunsan was that the base took a "wait-and-see" attitude towards making any significant improvements to the base. Officially, the USAF and ROKAF relationship remained cool. On a personal level, many USAF and ROKAF personnel made lasting friendships. Bruce Charles an F-4C Phantom II driver with the 67TFS between 1968-1970 said, "Yes, the 67th, and two other squadrons were "sitting" at the 475th in '68, '69 and '70. I suspect they hung around there for a number of years thereafter, but I do not know. All SIOP/GWP alert." He recalls being taught the Korean drinking art of "topshida" (bottoms-up) at the ROKAF Officer's Club. This involved drinking a shot of whiskey and placing the upturned shot glass on one's head. The north end of base (near the north gate) was the ROKAF area. The training area consisted of a two-story concrete building of the standard Korean design for school or government buildings. The design is one of a central hallway on the front with doorways leading to various rooms. In front of the building was an open sports field. In the rear of the training building was the motorpool, Security Police and POL dump. Other small units were located throughout the base. It appears that the cinder-block Officers Club and two-story BOQ next door was built in the late-1970s. The old BOQ housing which had been transferred to the ROKAF in the 1950s was still in use, though in the latter part of the 1970s (after the 8th TFW arrived) portions of the ROKAF housing were torn down to construct new USAF BOQ facilities. In turn, the new multi-story units for the ROKAF NCO/Officer families were built in their present location. The apartments design appears to be the typical "efficiency" design that Korean government-built housing used. Between 1968-1971, the Det 1 475th TFW handled the nuclear alert commitment at Kunsan. It was relieved by the 3rd TFW in 1971. However, the USAF presence on the base was still minimal as the 3rd TFW was a "paper wing" with only the nuclear alert pad commitment in Kunsan. The "tree" area was still being used by the 3rd TFW for its nuclear alert facility. However, the administrative functions and F-4D inspection/repair facilities were in Misawa. In addition, the wing had one of its fighter squadrons (35th TFS) deployed to Vietnam. The 3rd TFW was further reduced in strength in 1972 when they transferred 18 F-4Ds to the ROKAF's 11th TFW. These aircraft were first on loan, but then it became permanent. Basically all these units were "caretaker" units until the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing arrived in 1974 as the first "permanent" flying unit since the Korean War. The ROKAF was also slowly converting over from its "feudal" equipment. The antique ROKAF quad-50 antiaircraft guns used in WWII were finally replaced with the towed M61 20mm Vulcan cannon. However, for some time both the Vulcan and the Quad-50 were used to guard the ROKAF flightline. (See 76th AAA for details of the Quad-50). Later on, the Vulcan cannon would be moved to "Little Coyote" on a small hill to guard the runway. The Vulcan cannon had first been tested in 1953 and used in various models for ground and ship usages after the initial usages on F-104s failed. Because aircraft in the 1960s were designed more for air-to-air missiles rather than gunfights, the vulcan project was shelved. However, the shift back to guns in modern fighters made the M61 in one form or another an integral part of modern fighter aircraft such as the F-15, F16 and F-18. Though the six-barreled gun was extremely reliable, it was originally fed by linked ammo whose links that tended bend or shatter and jam the gun at high rates of fire. This led to a linkless feed system in later models. (NOTE: During 1975, the primary AAA defense for Kunsan AB was the hawk missile detachment stationed a 1/2 mile north of the base.)
(Courtesy Kenneth Wisz) Click on Photos to enlarge Offbase, Kunsan City remained basically as it was in the 1960s. There were very few changes. The economy in the area remained mostly subsistence farming or coastal fishing. However, the "Miracle of the Han" was affecting the populace in a "trickle-down" fashion. Though the economy of the area remained poor, most of the young people gravitated to the major cities to work for companies offering higher wages. This left only their parents behind. (NOTE: In the 1970s, this was not a major problem as the parents were still young enough to work the farms alone. However, in the 1990s the parents who remained on the farms were reaching retirement age and there was no one to take over the farms. Many farm homes in the area were abandoned.) The Park regime did start to address the disparity between the major cities and the rural areas, but this dealt primarily with birth control or agrarian issues. It was not until the end of the 1970s that some substantive changes started to appear in Kunsan. For example, Kunsan University was built in 1978 and the city started to expand as new low-rent apartments were built in the Naundong area. But there was a lot of friction over the "Miracle of the Han". In Korea's Place in the Sun, A Modern History (p326) it states, "An industrial belt extended north and west from Pusan, linking the free-export zones in Masan and Changwon with new industries in cities like Taegu and Ulsan. Little towns like Kumi and ports erased in the Korean War like P'ohang were transformed overnight into industrial cities because they were near Park's birthplace (next to Kumi) or were hometowns of one of his close associates (P'ohang). Tile roofs and television antennas sprouted on homes all over the Kyongsangs, while in southwest Cholla peasants living in thatched-roof huts continued their backbreaking agrarian toil at near-subsistence levels, or sent children off to Seoul in search of a job in a tearoom or massage parlor." The point is that the "Miracle of the Han" did not include the Cholla area where Kunsan is. The "Miracle of the Han" applied to the "T-K" (Taegu-Kyongsang) group. One can only speculate on the morale factors on Kunsan's ROKAF personnel. For example, how did the Kunsan officers feel about being relegated to an area not in the prestigious "T-K" zone -- where all the base improvements took place and all the new aircraft were sent. Also one could speculate on the impact on promotions for officers born in the Cholla areas as the hierarchy blatantly promoted from within the "T-K" area to positions of top military leadership. The military had become political...in a time when promotions were bought and sold. The military had become an extension of political power and only trusted allies were to be placed in high positions of authority. This form of cronyism continued through Chun Doo-hwan's regime and into Roh Tae-woo terms in office. (NOTE: One of the first acts in 1995 upon Kim Yong-sam taking office was his "retiring" of a boatload of generals. His next step was to wrest a pledge from the military that it would take a "neutral" stance on politics.) But years later, we still hear about the feelings of bitterness from local people over this form of regionalism that benefitted one part of the country to the detriment of the Cholla areas.  These Nissen quonset huts demolished in 1998 The large hangar in the rear is the original ROKAF structure. (Courtesy Bruce Ebert) (Click on image to enlarge) Historical Background in the 1970s Affecting Kunsan AB: After peace overtures from the North, President Park announced his willingness to open gradual contacts with North Korea. However, he did not know that the North had secretly started building infiltration tunnels under the DMZ in 1970. In 1971, Korean ground troops assumed responsibility for the defense of the 156-mile DMZ with a partial withdrawal of American forces. In the late 1970s, an "American Town" was built (just outside the 3-mile exclusionary zone) as an alternative to the bars in town -- and to provide a solution to the housing shortages on base. However, very few ROKAF visited these bars except as guests of the Americans. The area was strictly for Americans and were basically very low-class tourist bars. Between 1970 and 1974, there was a Seoul-Kunsan airline route that used the Kunsan runway. It ran from August 1970-March 1974 but was stopped supposedly due to the cost of oil. However, one should note that the 8th TFW arrived on March 1974 to take over the base. With a permanent wing, the base was no longer going to be treated as a "caretaker base" with aircraft "sitting" on alert and having a lightly used runway. The runway would be used for a full-time flying schedule. In 1971 President Park declared a national emergency after narrowly defeating Kim Dae-Jung for the presidency (51%). Because of Kim Dae-jung's attacks on the Park regime, he became a marked man of the KCIA. Korea's Place in the Sun, A Modern History (p358) refers to the "Yushin" constitution this way. The 1972 constitution was written "removing all limits on his tenure in office and giving him powers to appoint and dismiss the cabinet and even the prime minister, to designate one-third of the National Assembly..., to suspend or destroy civil liberties, and to issue decrees for whatever powers the Yushin framers forgot to include." In 1972, President Park imposed martial law and was elected to a six-year term under a new constitution. Basically, with the "Yushin" system, Park could remain President as long as he wished with being bothered by elections. Military expenditures grew steadily after 1972 due to the shift in U.S. Asian policy and the international situation. Most of this increase was due to the grants and loans promised by the President Johnson if the ROK Army would join the alliance in Vietnam in 1965. As was mentioned before, though the 3rd TFW was at Kunsan, its manning was minimal. The base remained undermanned until the 8th TFW arrived in 1974. In 1973, U.S.-Korea relations became strained in connection with the kidnapping from Japan of Kim Dae-jung, who would later become Presidents of Korea. He claimed that the government of Park was "highly militaristic" and it had been turned into a "police state" during his Presidential campaign in 1971. In 1973, he was kidnapped from Japan; underwent torture; and faced imminent death at the hands of the Korean CIA. It was the US intercession that saved his life. Because of the growing discontent against his policies in 1974, Park imposed an emergency decree forbidding criticism of the "Yushin" constitution. With the power of the National Security Act, the KCIA enforced this decree through intimidation and torture. World-wide attention was being focused on Korea with outraged cries against the human rights violations. In 1974, a North Korean sympathizer from Japan, in an attempt on the life of President Park Chung-hee at a public gathering, shot and killed Mrs. Park. There was growing criticism of the Americans against human rights violations by the Korean government. In 1975, Jimmy Carter in running for President told the Washington Post that he saw no reason for American troops to be stationed in South Korea and that, if elected, he would pull them out along with the nuclear weapons stationed there. In the 1992 publication, Kim Young-Sam and the The New Korea (p99) it states, "Carter apparently wanted to removed the "trip-wire" U.S. force to avoid any possibility of an American entanglement in a future land war in Asia. But Carter also appeared to be motivated by his and his advisers' deep antagonism to the authoritarian government in South Korea and its violations of human rights. It appears that they were also heavily influenced by the so-called Koreagate scandal of 1971 involving a lobbyist for South Korea, Tong-sun Park, with ties to the Korean Central Intelligence Agency." Koreagate involved the dispersal of between $500,000 to $1 million annually in cash gifts and campaign contributions. President Jimmy Carter's plan to withdraw the ground troops of the US from South Korea caused grave concerns for the national security. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff warned of the superiority of the North Korean forces, but did recommend a scaling down of the American forces. The impact of these decisions at the local level was that USAF base officials of the 8th TFW took a "wait-and-see" attitude before approving monies for improvements to the base. As the ROKAF were residents of on the base using USAF water and sewage facilities, there were inconveniences as the quality of the infrastructure deteriorated. For the base as a whole, this "wait-and-see" attitude set any improvements back five years as base officials simply sat on their hands. The "improvements" to the base were second-hand prefab buildings from Utapao, Thailand that were disassembled and shipped to Kunsan in 1975. In addition, some work was done to the aircraft parking areas. All of this work was done by the 54th CES/Det 1 (Red Horse). However, the 8th Civil Engineering did very little to upgrade the base infrastructure. In 1976, two American army officers were brutally hacked to death in an unprovoked attack by 30 axe-wielding North Korean Communist security guards in the joint security area of the truce conference installation at Panmunjon. The ROKAF along with the U.S. forces went on full alert. A massive buildup was immediately undertaken with carrier fleets and AWACS aircraft deployed to Korea. Though the tensions died down, whenever you have so many armed forces confronting each other there is always the chance that someone may pull the trigger and World War III will start. Any face-off is dangerous. However, the event did strengthen the case of the opponents to Jimmy Carter's withdrawal plans. In 1976, the U.S. Senate in a 77-to-15 vote refused to endorse Carter's withdrawal scheme. Politically, the scheme was dead, but Carter needed a face-saving exit. In early 1977, the third in a series of tunnels secretly dug under the DMZ was discovered. In February 1979, Carter on the basis of a reappraisal of North Korea's military strength, said no further withdrawals would take place until the end of his administration. The reappraisal was a face-saving device which permitted the reversal of policy. Following President Carter's Korea visit in June 1979, the thorny issue of troop withdrawals was solved and the plan was withdrawn. However, a 1979 Gallup poll showed the American people's support for South Korea was at its lowest point ever. The assassination of Park Chung-Hee by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency on October 26, 1979 shook the nation. Martial Law was enacted and the Fourth Republic came to an end. Again the ROKAF was on full alert. On the night of December 12, 1979, Major General Chun Doo-hwan ousted General Chong Sung-hwa as Army Chief of Staff. A History of the Korean People, Tradition and Transformation (p465) states, "This incident raised a serious issue between the commander of the U.S. forces in Korea and General Chun because of his mobilization of troops without the authorization of the commander of the U.S.-Korean Combined Forces Command (CFC) which was established on November 1978, with the commander of the U.S. Eight Army as commander of the combined forces. Therefore any troop movement of Korean troops without the approval of the commander of the combined forces was regarded as illegal. However, the United States, recognizing the particular situation in Korea, raised no serious objection." (NOTE: The effects of this U.S. decision to say -- and do -- nothing is still being felt today as the Korean student activists use it as "proof" that the U.S. "supported" Chun Doo-hwan in his actions. It is not known what actions were taken by the Kunsan ROKAF to support this action by Chun Doo-hwan, but it is assumed that the unit was confined to barracks and on full alert. However, the Commanding General of the First Army guarding Seoul ordered his troops to remain "neutral." Most likely similar orders were issued to the ROKAF. Kunsan would have been too far away from any of the coup activities going on to be considered a player.) On May 9, 1979 Kim Yong-sam and Kim Dae-jung urged the government to cancel martial law and suspend its plans to revise the constitution. Government response was vague and student protests erupted and spread nationwide. Facing a possible collapse of law and order, the government extended its limited martial law to nationwide one on May 18. Kim Yong-sam, Kim Jong-pil and Kim Dae-jung were arrested. In Kwangju the news of the arrest of Kim Dae-jung infuriated the residents. They occupied buildings and broke into armories to get arms. On May 22, paratroopers stormed Kwangju and subjugated the rebellion, but the insurrection resulted in the death of several hundreds (though Kwangju residents claim it is in the thousands). Westerners call it the "Kwangju Riots" or "Kwangju Uprising", but Koreans call it the "Kwangju Massacre". Kim Dae-jung was indicted by the Chun regime for inciting the riots and given the death sentence...but it was later commuted to life in prison. (NOTE: Again anti-American protestors assign some degree of blame and guilt upon U.S. military and government authorities for the bloody crackdown in Kwangju. South Korean army units were technically under the Combined Forces Command (CFC) were pulled from their positions near the DMZ to participate in quelling the Kwangju uprising. Radicals accuse the U.S. of approving or at least acquiescing to their deployment to Kwangju. However, on the opposite side of the coin, some vocal American politicians have used this same case as demonstrating the untrustworthiness of Koreans in living up to treaty agreements.) Though Kwangju is 120km from Kunsan, it is unlikely that there was any involvement from the Kunsan ROKAF to support the suppression effort. It was strictly a ROK Army operation. Again, the ROKAF would have probably been confined to barracks and on full alert. (NOTE: This uprising would be the centerpiece of investigations by the National Assembly in 1987 under Roh Tae-woo and then reopened under the Kim Young-sam presidency. In the latter, Chun Doo-hwan and Ro Tae-woo were arrested in 1995 and tried in 1996 on bribery and sedition charges. Though the charges for "treason" were dropped, the two former Presidents were sent to prison for corruption. In 1995 President Kim Young-sam said this was a major step towards "righting the wrongs of history", but he would soon find his own troubles with corruption when his second son, Kim Hyon-chol, was sent to prison for receiving bribes in 1997.) In 1980, General Chun Doo-hwan was "inaugurated" as president as all four political parties were disbanded. In 1981, he would be "reelected" by the electoral college as the only candidate. For a short time, there was a detachment of F-4Ds of the 157th TFS, 11th FW of Taegu assigned to Kunsan AB. In 1972, the RoKAF received 18 F-4Ds drawn from the USAF's 3rd TFW based at Kunsan AB. (Go to 3rd Bomb Wing for more information.) Initially these aircraft were "on loan" from the USAF, but they soon departed for Taegu after their final transfer. This left only the F-86s at Kunsan.    Click on photo to enlarge From Juchan's Kim's RoKAF Aircraft. According to Service with the Republic of Korea Air Force, "In 1968, the Republic of Korea, having gotten rather nervous about border clashes with North Korea, ordered an initial batch of 18 F-4Ds. This order was filled using aircraft drawn from from existing USAF stocks rather than by new construction. The transfer program was assigned the code name Peace Spectator. The first four F-4Ds arrived in Korea in August of 1969. They were supplied to the 110th TFS of the 11th FW based at Taegu." "In 1972, the RoKAF received 18 more F-4Ds drawn from the USAF's locally-based 3rd TFW. These planes were supplied in return for the Korean government agreeing to transfer 36 Northrop F-5A/Bs to South Vietnam under the Enhance Plus program. Though we do not show any F-4Ds at Kunsan, there is one source that stated that Kunsan had a detachment of the 110th TFS, 11th FW from Taegu stationed there. Possibly this detachment existed only temporarily during the transfer. The F-4Ds were supplied to the 157st TFS of the 11th FW. These planes were officially only on loan to Korea, but the transfer was eventually made permanent. A few USAF F-4Ds were used by the RoKAF on short-term loan during the 1970s, but six were permanently supplied to the RoKAF in 1982 to make up for attrition, and a further 24 were delivered between December 1987 and April 1988. This last batch were equipped with Pave Spike laser designators. This final batch enabled the ROKAF to bring its two F-4D squadrons back to full strength and to equip a third. Ultimately, at least 70 ex-USAF F-4Ds were transferred to South Korea, the last being delivered in 1988."   ROKAF F-4Ds From Juchan's Kim's RoKAF Aircraft. Click on photo to enlarge "The RoKAF ordered 37 new-build F-4Es from McDonnell, receiving the first examples in 1978. The last of these planes, 78-0744, was the the 5068th and last Phantom to be built in the USA. These 37 planes were delivered under Operation Peace Pheasant II. They went to the 152nd and 153re TFS of the 17th TFW based at Chongju." "Subsequently, Korea has received an unspecified number of ex-USAF F-4Es. The US offered 24 surplus F-4Es in 1988 and 30 in 1989, but probably only the latter batch was actually delivered. It is uncertain exactly how many ex-USAF F-4Es are currently flying in Korea. Some Korean F-4Es are equipped to carry the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack laser designator pod. When the USAF's Korea-based 460th TRG disbanded in late 1990, 12 of their RF-4Cs were turned over to the RoKAF, along with a quantity of AN/ALQ-131 jamming pods. These were given to the 131st TRS of the 39th TRG based at Suwon." In the late-1970s the transfers of F-4Ds were being handled as the USAF transitioned to F-15s and Kunsan did support the ROKAF at Taegu with maintenance trainers. According to Bruce Ebert, then a crew chief with the 8th TFW from 1978-1980, "I do remember that some of our F-4s went to Taegu right around the time Kadena got F-15s. ... at that same time we gave/sold/transferred (or however that stuff works) some of our planes to the Koreans. But for whatever reason, some of the maint guys from Kunsan used to go to Taegu as maint trainers/advisors for the Koreans."  ROKAF F-4E 80387  ROKAF F-4E 80407  ROKAF F-4E 80744 At this time, we do not think that any F-5A/B aircraft was ever stationed at Kunsan. The reason is that the F-86Fs were still stationed at Kunsan in 1978. Though F-5s were observed transiting the ROKAF area, no one remembers them as being permanently stationed at Kunsan. In addition, starting in 1972, as a favor to the U.S., Korea transferred 36 F-5As and all its RF-5As to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. To make up the difference, the US government agreed to supply Korea with F-4 Phantoms and later-model F-5Es. It would make sense to hold onto the F-86s until the F-5Es that were promised by the US arrived and then swap them out.  ROKAF F-5A 38399 From Juchan's Kim's RoKAF Aircraft. Click on photo to enlarge Fightertown says, "The Republic of Korea Air Force (Hankook Kong Goon) was one of the largest operators of the Freedom Fighter, receiving 88 F-5As, 30 F-5Bs, and 8 RF-5As. The first F-5s arrived in Korea in early April of 1965. 16 F-5As and four F-5Bs re-equipped the 105th Fighter Squadron of the 10th Fighter Wing based at Suwon, which achieved operational status on September 1, replacing F-86F Sabres. Another 14 F-5As were delivered to the 102nd FS, also based at Suwon."  ROKAF F-5B 21276 From Juchan's Kim's RoKAF Aircraft. Click on photo to enlarge "The RF-5As equipped a single squadron, and this unit continued to fly the RF-5A some time after the F-5A/F-5B had been replaced by the F-5E/F." "During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the F-5A and F-5B were replaced in front-line service with the RoKAF by later-model F-5Es and Fs. By the end of the 1980s, all of the F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighters were out of RoKAF service. " "The RoKAF had originally planned to acquire the RF-4E for reconnaissance purposes, but this plan was abandoned and several F-5As were converted to RF-5A reconnaissance configuration with camera noses. These RF-5As were withdrawn from use in 1990 following the arrival of a second batch of RF-4Cs. This marked the last of Korea's early-model F-5s." THE ROKAF AT KUNSAN AIR BASE IN THE 1980s: The flightline area changed significantly. The F86Fs disappeared and were replaced by the F-5Es flown by the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. (NOTE: We do not have a specific date of arrival at this time and the following is speculation. Fightertown reported that the 111th Squadron with F-5Es was part of the 10th Fighter Wing at Suwon in the 1980s. From this we infer that the 111th left Kunsan when the F-86s departed and transitioned to the F-5E at Suwon. At a later date in the mid-1980s, the unit was reassigned to Kunsan after the new construction of hardened bunkers was complete.) The single maintenance hangar used since the 1950s was demolished. In its place, hardened arches were erected for each aircraft. The designs are similar to the hardened arches used by the USAF. During the 1980s, there was great concern over the Russian spy satellite that would pass over Korea at regular intervals. The satellite's ability to photograph activity on the ground could reveal a unit's war capability, how many aircraft were in-commission and on alert, and all other sorts of information. It could all be monitored from above. The hardened arches became essential in the 1980s to protect the unit's mission from prying eyes. To the side of the hardened arches, a maintenance hangar capable of handling two F-5Es was constructed. Along the sides of this hangar are wings for maintenance shops. Most likely this construction took place in conjunction with the conversion to the F-5E. The headquarters were across the street. There were improvements in the living conditions for the ROKAF at Kunsan in the late-1980s. They were a direct reflection of the improvements in the Korean economy and the dramatic growth of its GNP. It also reflects the military's concern that there was full-employment on the economy for highly-skilled technicians -- especially aircraft mechanics. Companies such as KAL and Samsung with its KFP (Korean Fighter Plane) program was expanding their operations. Concerns for retention of the mid-level NCOs would have been a primary concern as these skilled-individuals could easily find a much more lucrative future as a civilian outside the military. The training area, motor pool and security police areas remained in the same area. Though there was improvements in Senior NCO/Officer quarters, the enlisted folks continued to bunk in the Nissen huts near ROKAF flightline area. Some houses along the training field of the Training building were still used by NCO families. Alongside these houses was a small ROKAF chapel. The motorpool, security police and POL dump remained in the same areas on the north end of base. Historical Background in the 1980s Affecting Kunsan AB: In 1980, General Chun Doo-hwan was "inaugurated" as president as all four political parties were disbanded. In 1981, he would be "reelected" by the electoral college as the only candidate. He continued the government patronage of the chaebols by granting them low-interest loans. One significant change that would affect Kunsan in general was in 1982. The government lifted the 31-year old midnight-to-4 AM curfew. Though the USAF maintained its curfew policies in the American town bar row, the Korean populace in general was now free to be out after midnight. In 1985 President Chun Doo-hwan freed Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung, and other political prisoners from a ban on political activity. In 1987 amidst growing cries of protest Chun Doo-hwan decided to step down and selected his choice for a successor as Roh Tae-woo, a former general. The National Assembly passed a constitutional amendment for direct election of the president. A significant change for the military was that it pledged to be "non-political". In other words, military personnel would be free to vote without coercion. Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung failed to agree on a united opposition candidate and faced Roh Tae-woo of the ruling Democratic Justice Party. 26 million voters went to the polls to elect Roh Tae-woo as a minority candidate against a badly divided opposition. Regardless, over 98 percent of the voters turned out to vote for the first civilian President since Syngman Rhee. The election was internationally monitored. (NOTE: Kim Young-sam would later claim that his Presidency was the first civilian government since Roh Tae-woo was from a military background.) On November 28, 1987 KAL 828 enroute to Seoul from the Persian Gulf was bombed by North Korean terrorists killing 115 people. One of the terrorists, Kim Hyun-hee, in her 1995 autobiography Tears of My Soul talked about her orders: "By destroying the plane we intend to increase the sense of chaos and ultimately to prevent the Olympic Games from taking place in Seoul. Other nations will not want to risk their athletes for fear that either their planes will be destroyed or that once in Seoul their athletes will not be safe from terrorist attacks. (NOTE: Kim Hyun-hee was extradited to Seoul, tried and sentenced to death. Her sentence was commuted and she was released.) In 1988, the official histories read "the Summer Olympics were held in Seoul without incident after the Republic of Korea refused to host them jointly in Pyongyang". In truth, the Seoul Olympic committee offered the ping-pong venue and another minor sport to Pyongyang realizing full well that North Korea would refuse. Pyongyang -- along with Cuba -- boycotted the Olympics and issued some very ominous threats that cast a cloud over the events. However, with the KAL 828 incident still fresh in their minds, some of the ROKAF and 8th TFW aircraft (along with some 51st TFW aircraft) were put on full-alert -- just in case. Luckily nothing occurred to interrupt the Olympic spirit. In fact one of the Olympic scull events was held right off the base at Okku Reservoir. In 1988, the New York Times reported the possibility that North Korea was developing nuclear weapons. This would foreshadow the events of the 1990s where North Korea would push the Korea again to the brink of war. In the latter part of the 1980s, student activism peaked. At Kunsan AB, the front gate was closed regularly by students protesting the Kwangju Massacre and assigning blame to the U.S. warmongers. In addition the students blamed the U.S. for the separation of the two Koreas. These types of demonstrations were widely publicized around the world. For example, in 1988, the U.S. Information Service facility in Kwangju was repeatedly attacked by student activists. The agency was closed. At Kunsan Air Base, the Main Gate was often closed as student activists would show up with megaphones and kerosene Molotov cocktails to make their statement. These demonstrations were more vocal than damaging and made a frightful mess with broken bottles and bricks torn out of the sidewalks. But this type of student behavior was also observed throughout Kunsan City with street disturbances near the colleges and university. The area outside of Kunsan Air Base was starting to show the effects of the "Miracle of the Han" as some of the economic expansion started to appear in Kunsan. In the outer port area there was an expansion as new companies moved into the city. In the farm areas, most of the farm roads were being converted concrete roads. The first of the highrise apartments were built in 1989 and would mark the beginning of a building boom in the city. In the last half of the 1980s, the initial planning stages was underway for three national industrial complex construction projects -- Kunsan, Kunjang (Kunsan/Janghang) and the Agro-industrial Complex (in Seongsan/Seosu/Okku). No one could have envisioned how fast things in Kunsan would change after the ball was set in motion. The biggest change that affected the relationships between ROKAF and USAF was the change in the Americans perception of the average Korean. Two things had happened since the 1960s-1970s when Americans looked on Koreans as inferiors. First, the "third wave" of Korean immigration had taken place in the 1970s. These Korean emigrants were educated Koreans who bypassed the immigration quotas. By the 1980s, they had entered America's mainstream and no longer perceived as "THEM" foreigners (as differentiated from "US" Americans). Secondly, in the 1980s, there was a growth in Korea in the disposable incomes of workers. Though the government attempted to restrain the skyrocketing wages, they continued to grow in the form of expanded annual bonuses. In the blink of an eye, Korea had developed a middle class. It is important to point out that the amount of money one earns does not really determine if one is middle-class or not. If someone "thinks" that he is of the middle class, he "IS" middle class. Middle-class status is a state of mind. Once a person perceives himself as middle-class, he also assumes the values and goals of that class. He takes on the perceived characteristics of that class -- apartment, car, children in better schools, etc. Suddenly, Americans saw Koreans in a different light. They saw them no longer as inferiors as they had in the 1960s-1970s, but rather as equals. It is difficult to respect someone you consider inferior -- even one who considers you his friend. But it is easy to respect someone who you consider your equal -- even an enemy. The ROKAF and USAF in the 1980s saw each other as equals. At this point in time, we are uncertain exactly when the F-5Es arrived at Kunsan. We know that they were not at Kunsan in 1978, but they were present in 1987. As it would not be logical for the F-5A/B to be at Kunsan, we are assuming that Kunsan was equipped with the Korean-built F-5Es produced between 1982-1986. (NOTE: We speculate that the 111th FIS departed Kunsan when the F-86Fs left and was assigned to the 10th Fighter Wing at Suwon to transition to the F-5Es. When the construction of new bunkers to house the F-5Es was complete, the 111th moved back to its old home at Kunsan sometime between 1982-1986.) We are assuming that the old F-86Fs that were at Kunsan were transferred to the 11th TFW at Taegu and were among the last ones in the ROKAF. Kalani O'Sullivan remembers seeing three F-86s at Taegu in 1987 on a staff visit to the 11th TFW. Fightertown says, "The Republic of Korea Air Force (Hankook Kong Goon) is a major operator of the F-5, and flies all versions of the F-5 with the exception of the RF-5E." "The ROKAF received its first early-model F-5 Freedom Fighters in 1965, and operated a large number of F-5Aa, F-5Bs, and RF-5As. As a favor to the United States, in 1972, Korea transferred 36 F-5As and all its RF-5As to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. To make up the difference, the US government agreed to supply Korea with F-4 Phantoms and later-model F-5Es. The first F-5Es entered Korean service in 1974, when 19 ex-Vietnamese Air Force aircraft were delivered. This laid the foundation for the acquisition of 126 new-build F-5Es and 20 F-5Fs. The first F-5Es were allocated to the 1st Fighter Wing (115th, 122nd, and 123rd Tactical Fighter Squadrons) based at Kwang Ju air base."  ROKAF F-5E (From Code One Magazine) "In 1980, South Korea signed an initial license production agreement for the manufacture of 48 F-5Es and 20 F-5Fs plus their engines. The Hanjin Corporation, utilizing some facilities owned by Korean Air Lines, assembled the last 68 of the 233 F-5E/Fs delivered to the ROKAF between 1974 and 1986. The General Electric J85 engines were assembled by Samsung (today known as Samsung Aerospace Industries). Work on the project began in 1981, and the first Korean built F-5 (an F-5F) flew for the first time on September 9, 1982. The Korean-built aircraft had all been delivered by 1986."  38th Fighter Group (2000) Fightertown continued, "These F-5E/Fs replaced the previous force of F-5A/Bs, although some of these are retained for training. In ROKAF service, the F-5 is known as the Chegoong-ho (Skymaster). The South Korean government is very tight about security, and very little reliable information is available about serial numbers and unit allocations. However, it is believed that the F-5E equips the 115th, 122nd, and 123rd TFS of the 1st Fighter Wing based at Kwangju, the 102nd ,103rd, and 111th TFS of the 10th Fighter Wing based at Suwon, and the 201st and 203rd TFS of the 5th Fighter Wing (base unspecified). The Operational Conversion Unit for the 1st Fighter Wing retains some F-5A/Bs for training." (CORRECTION NOTE: The 111th TFS is part of the 38th Fighter Group at Kunsan Air Base.)
(From Juchan Kim's Homepage) SPECIFICATIONS OF NORTHROP F-5E TIGER II:  ROKAF F-5E 61650  ROKAF F-5F 10594 From Juchan's Kim's RoKAF Aircraft. Click on photo to enlarge
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