Please introduce yourself once again, even though there is already an adjective that is a proper noun.
I am the first female pilot in Korea to turn 90 this year.
At every moment, there were continuous choices to make, from moving to South Korea to joining the women's army and even studying abroad in the US. I wonder what criteria and values were used to determine the direction of life.
I was too young at the time, my identity was not yet established. I vaguely remember being an ordinary girl who liked physics and dreamed of being an inventor who creates somethings.
Didn’t you regret it?
When I joined the army, I naturally got used to living in a community life. However, it was not easy to control an aircraft, even though inventing was great and impressive. There were so many opportunities for me to change my mind during the training to become a pilot, but I managed to do it somehow. If I had given up, Anyway, there would be no female pilots in our country. I endured with a pioneering spirit back then. Look at how well are South Korean female pilots doing these days.
I know you joined the Air Force at the age of 18. What happened to the 15 female colleagues at that time?
I don’t remember all of them, but my colleagues were generally good-looking and tall, which caught the attention of male soldiers who would flirt with them every day. No one talked to me though. HAHA. Eventually, one of them died from a shell explosion, and two were kidnapped by North Korea. The rest either got married or their parents were too afraid of losing their children, so they all got discharged. That's why I was the only one left all alone.
You could have gotten discharged the same way. Isn’t it?
My parents clearly told me that if I took out the knife, at least I should cut the radish and put it in the sheath. (In for a penny, in for a pound.) I was a good daughter who listened well. In our house, if the adults said something, it was obviously right. Living my life, I realized that it was, indeed, the right thing to do.
How did you feel when you graduated from the 1st Air Force Academy?
With a crowd of 20,000 watching, I was honestly nervous and scared. When I landed after the demonstration flight, I was already given the title of the first female pilot. On May 15, 1951, I officially became a combat pilot.
You are a hero who brought a fighter jets to Korea for the first time in the US. In other words, breaking down prejudice is a difficult way for the Underdog.
Now I have the national power, and I have enough conditions to prove anything if I have the spirit of challenge and determination. I am a just person who experienced war and fought in the military and survived the crossroads of life and death, so I can speak like this.
In the world, the majority 'mainstream' and the small 'non-mainstream' come together and lead the flow of the times. Unlike in the past, what do you think about the behavior of many young "non-mainstream" in modern times?
In the past, there were bad conditions, but as you can see now, it is such a good world to live in. Challenging is good. Try as much as you want. When I see all the young people doing it these days, it's so desirable and there are so many things they're good at. However when I see so many people giving up along the way, I think that's not it.
The alumni of the Missouri General Military Academy are enormous. Did you know about Winston Churchill, Neil Armstrong, General MacArthur, and Marlon Brando James Garner, and previous U.S. presidents roughly
There are many people who have gone down in history. I do know that.
What kind of friend were you with Andre Kim, an old friend?
Andre and I were just casual friends. I always wore the same clothes, but I gave him a lot of information about fashion in America while he was alive. I told him that the trend was to match the color of the lipstick with the clothes, and so on. No matter what others say, Andre was a genius and a true patriot.
I'd like to talk about the symbol of pilot, sunglasses.
I love sunglasses. I got discharged a long time ago, but I still wear Ray-Bans.
Was your reason for liking them simply for their design or did they also help as a functional?
When you're flying at high altitude, it's hard to get a good view when the sun's direct rays are shining on you. That's why you have to wear them to be able to fly. But honestly, there's also a cool factor to it. Sunglasses themselves are cool, but when pilots wear them, they look even cooler. When you open the cockpit of a fighter jet and take them off, it looks so cool.
Were Ray-Bans the standard supply for pilots worldwide?
I saw some people who work in mines in the U.S. wear Boeing sunglasses when they come out of the mines. It wasn't just a preference for pilots, but people all over the world in various professions liked them.
How about Randolph sunglasses, personally?
I have them at home, but I don’t wear them.
Have you collected various models?
I collected quite a few models by buying different sunglasses when I visited different countries during training. Even though the design is the same, there are colors that I like. Some people like sky blue, some people like purple. It's clear that everyone has different tastes. Lately, young people and celebrities wear a lot of glasses with small lenses. That's why I have a lot of glasses that make me look like a frog.
This is the first proposal from a commercial aspect that is different from the interview content so far. What was different from your existing sunglasses so that you accept it?
I liked that when I wore them, I didn't feel any pressure on my temple or ears. Because of my job, I had worn sunglasses for a long time, so low-end sunglasses were generally treated as charity by pilots. And didn't you appeal to the fact that you were made specifically for pilots? I thought you approached me with obvious good intentions, but honestly, I really liked them.
As you can see, it can't be hung easily on the neck or chest. Instead, we made a loop that can be fixed.
It's convenient to just hang it roughly on your jacket or top when you go indoors. Of course, I did that too, and as you said, there is a risk of losing the small ring, but if it's comfortable to wear, you have to accept this much and be grateful. Earlier, I mentioned the appearance of young people these days. Trends that are easy to access are easy to change and get tired of. If I don't have affection or love for the things I have, that's clearly wrong
If you have any advice on the way forward?
No matter what you do, the pride of not giving up is essential. I believe there is nothing that can't be appealed to and pushed forward to the world.
