North Korean Pilot Who Fled in a MiG-15
On the morning of September 21, 1953, a remarkable event unfolded when No Kum-sok, a North Korean Air Force pilot, made a daring defection to South Korea. Flying his Soviet-built MiG-15 fighter jet, No crossed the heavily fortified border and landed at Kimpo Air Base, located near Seoul. His unexpected arrival startled both the South Korean and U.S. military personnel, who initially feared it could be a North Korean attack.
No Kum-sok’s defection was not only a significant Cold War incident but also a windfall for U.S. military intelligence. The MiG-15 was one of the most advanced jet fighters of its time, and the opportunity to study it up close provided invaluable insights to American engineers. At the time of his defection, No was unaware that the U.S. had offered a $100,000 reward for the first pilot to deliver an operational MiG-15. When informed of the reward later, it came as an unexpected surprise.
No Kum-sok’s decision was driven by his dissatisfaction with the North Korean regime and his desire for freedom. Following his defection, he eventually emigrated to the United States, where he built a new life, far from the oppressive environment he had fled. His story remains one of the most daring and impactful defections of the Cold War era.
