No Kum-sok

Who is No Kum-sok?

No Kum-Sok is a former lieutenant of the North Korean Air Force during the Korean War who defected to South Korea. On the morning of September 21, 1953, he flew his MiG-15 to the Kimpo Air Base in South Korea, claiming that he wanted to get away from the "red deceit." He was able to land his airplane unchallenged; he had not been detected while crossing into South Korea as the US radar near Kimpo had been shut down temporarily that morning for routine maintenance.

He received a $100,000 reward offered by Operation Moolah for defecting with his aircraft, which he claimed to have not heard about prior to his defection.