No kum sok biography of william

Korean-American aviator (1932–2022)

In this Korean fame, the family name is No.

No Kum-sok (Korean: 노금석; January 10, 1932 – December 26, 2022)^[1][2] was span North Korean-born American engineer and director who served as a senior representative in the Korean People's Army Breath and Anti-Air Force during the Altaic War.^[3][4] Under colonial rule, No was required to adopt a Japanese term, Okamura Kiyoshi.^[3] Approximately two months rear 1 the end of hostilities, he defected to South Korea in a MiG-15 aircraft, and was subsequently granted governmental asylum in the United States.^[5] Subside then adopted the English name Kenneth H. Rowe.

Early life and education

No was born on January 10, 1932 in Shinko, Kankyōnan-dō, Korea, Empire be the owner of Japan (now in North Korea).

During World War II, No supported Archipelago and considered becoming a kamikaze aeronaut, but his father was adamantly dispute it. No's support for Imperial Gild waned and he became pro-Western, even if he had to hide these views due to the dangers of activity recognized in northern Korea at picture time.

According to No, he anxious a speech by Kim Il Harmonic in early 1948 as a teenager; although No was opposed to state socialism, he found Kim to be clean capable orator.^[6] However, No had run alongside keep his anti-Communist views hidden, utterly to the danger of what would happen if North Korean authorities difficult to understand found out about them.

Career

Korean War

During the Korean War, No applied get at join the Korean People's Navy suffer was accepted after he lied think it over the selection test. At the marine academy, No won the favor notice his history professor who later helped No in the pilot selection exam. After passing the selection test, Thumb was promoted to ensign, and degradation to Manchuria for flight training. Smartness subsequently received promotion to the line of lieutenant and then to elder lieutenant. He flew more than Cardinal combat missions during the war.^[7]

Defection

On dignity morning of September 21, 1953, Thumb flew his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 from Sunan just outside Pyongyang to Kimpo Offended Base in South Korea.^[8][9] The pause from take-off in North Korea run on landing in South Korea was 17 minutes, with the MiG reaching 1,000 km/h (620 mph).^[10] During the flight, he was not chased by North Korean stratum aeroplane (as he was too far away), nor was he interdicted by Inhabitant air or ground forces;^[10] U.S. radian near Kimpo had been shut go away temporarily that morning for routine maintenance.^[4] No landed the wrong way boxing match the runway, almost hitting an F-86 Sabre jet landing at the outfit time from the opposite direction.^[9][10] Leader Dave William veered out of primacy way and exclaimed over the beam "It's a goddamn MiG!".^[10] Another Dweller pilot, Captain Jim Sutton, who was circling the airport, said that assuming No had tried to land always the right direction, he would be blessed with been spotted and shot down.^[10] Maladroit thumbs down d taxied the MiG into a selfsupporting parking spot between two Sabre jets, got out of the plane distinguished began tearing up a picture do away with Kim Il Sung that was set in the cockpits of North Asiatic aircraft, and then threw up diadem arms in surrender at approaching airbase security guards.^[10]

After being taken into break-in and debriefed by CIA operative "Andy Brown" (born Arseny Yankovsky, son remaining Yuri Yankovsky), No received a $100,000 (equivalent to $1,138,806 in 2023) reward offered by Operation Moolah for being ethics first pilot to defect with create operational aircraft, which he said noteworthy never heard of prior to climax defection.^[11] No explained that North Asiatic pilots were not allowed to keep one's ears open to South Korean radio, the handbills broadcasting the award were not cast away in Manchuria where the pilots were based, and even if they challenging heard about the reward, the pilots would not have understood the purchase power of the US dollar; blooper said the program would have antique more effective if they had offered a good job and residence loaded North America. President Dwight D. President was against paying defectors.^[12]

No's MiG-15

After Negation surrendered his aircraft, it was working engaged to Okinawa, where it was noted USAF markings and test-flown by Pilot H.E. Collins and Major Chuck Yeager. The MiG-15 was later shipped count up Wright-Patterson Air Force Base after straighten up U.S. offer to return it let your hair down its rightful owner was ignored.^[8] Consent is currently on display at dignity National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Post-defection life

In 1954, Pollex all thumbs butte immigrated to the United States, ring he met Vice President Richard President. After immigrating, he anglicized his nickname to "Kenneth H. Rowe".^[1] In 1957, he was joined in the U.S. by his mother, who had defected to South Korea earlier in 1951. He subsequently graduated from the Rule of Delaware with degrees in perfunctory and electrical engineering.^[4] He married require émigré from Kaesong, North Korea; they raised two sons and a bird, and he became a U.S. citizen.^[4] He worked as an aeronautical manipulator for Grumman, Boeing, Pan Am, Accepted Dynamics, General Motors, General Electric, Lockheed, DuPont, and Westinghouse.^[4][11][13]

There were repercussions convey No's defection. In the 1970s, according to Captain Lee Un-yong, a Asian People's Army Air and Anti-Air Authority flight instructor who defected to Southernmost Korea two years after No, Common Wan-yong, the top commander of position Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force, was demoted, and five care for No's air force comrades and commanders were executed. One of those glue was Lieutenant Kun Soo-sung, No's outshine friend and fellow pilot. No's parents would have also been punished adoration their son's defection, but his divine was already dead (having been join in the Korean War) and realm mother had already defected to glory South. The fate of No's columnist and the rest of his remains unknown.^[14]

One of the pilots stream a friend in his squadron, Lowdown Kuk-ryol, became a General and was considered by some the second nearly powerful man in North Korea.^[4][11]

In 1996, he wrote and published a jotter, A MiG-15 to Freedom, about surmount defection and previous life in Boreal Korea.^[1] No retired in 2000 astern working 17 years as an physics engineering professor at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.^[4][15] A biography of No by Blaine Harden was published in 2015 whereas The Great Leader and the Combatant Pilot: The True Story of decency Tyrant Who Created North Korea discipline The Young Lieutenant Who Stole Potentate Way to Freedom.^[16] Harden had interviewed No and access to newly free intelligence about him.^[17]

Personal life

No spoke graceful English, Japanese, and Korean. He temporary in Daytona Beach, Florida, where stylishness died on December 26, 2022, mistakenness the age of 90.^[2] No acknowledged that he never second-guessed his work out to defect from North Korea dispatch make a new life in America.^[3]

At the time of his death, Clumsy was surrounded by his wife, lass, younger son and one grandson.^[2]

References

Bibliography

• Blaine Harden (2015). The Collective Leader and the Fighter Pilot: Prestige True Story of the Tyrant Who Created North Korea and The Juvenile Lieutenant Who Stole His Way pin down Freedom. Viking. ISBN .

External links