When the final F-4 Phantom roared down Suwon Air Base’s runway in June 2024, it was a goodbye party. It was the end of an unbelievably, unbelievably long book in South Korean history—a book whose tale is one of a nation that used to settle for hand-me-down planes and now constructs its supersonic fighter from the ground up.
The Phantom’s Legacy: More Than a Machine
The F-4 Phantom came to South Korea in 1969, as the nation was attempting to find itself in the aftermath of atrocities committed during the war. The void between the army and the North was huge, and the Phantom was a call from a siren’s voice sounding a clarion call. Speed, range, and firepower formed the next field of focus for the air force. In honor of a once-occupied nation, the Phantom was now no longer an asset but a promise.
During its decade of service, the jet served as a proving ground for the next generation of pilots and engineers, who in turn used it as a stepping stone to bigger jets. The Phantom was pushed to its limits in hundreds of close calls, ranging from interceptions of intruders to escort flights on defectors, and earned a reputation for being hardier than required and nearly bulletproof. It became known as the “Goblin of the Sky” and was both respected by pilots and feared by their enemies. From Citizens’ Contributions to Global Defense Strength
An anecdote shows just how crucial the Phantom was.
South Koreans stuffed their cash into their own pockets in 1975 so that the government would have cash to spend then purchasing five more jets—a squadron that would later be referred to as the “Pilseung Squadron.” It is difficult to envision today: people stuff their dollars into their own pockets so that their country can perhaps be able to defend its skies.
But it was a cry of national mass hysteria that would never again be exposed. Fast forward to the current day, and the contrast is breathtaking. The same country that was once dependent upon foreign assistance and foreign benevolence is now a world military defense powerhouse. South Korea in the 21st century is one of the top exporters of weapons in the world, exporting from cannon to tank, and soon, its jet fighter.
The KF-21 Boramae: Born in Korea
Phantom’s retirement saw the beginning of something new: the KF-21 Boramae. When the gray bullet jet shot across the skies on its first flight in July 2022, it was not a test flight—it was South Korea’s supersonic fighter. It was the culmination of years of labor, cost, and caution for the country.
The value of the KF-21 is its multi-mission capacity as a 4.5-generation fighter. Sophisticated avionics, supersonic speed, and enough space for expansion place it in a good position to succeed older fleets such as the F-4 and F-5. And that is only the beginning, but the program itself has been progressing, creating tens of thousands of jobs while merging hundreds of Korean companies into an actual national movement.
The South Korean military is buying well over 100 KF-21s in high hopes of selling them abroad as well. The cost-to-capability ratio of the airframe is such that it is attracting the attention of countries willing to buy advanced technology at a small fraction of what fifth-generation stealth fighters cost. But Boramae cannot be sold abroad as a product like that—it’s a message.
It is a sign of a nation that is no longer merely a consumer of high-technology weapons but a producer in the world. It is a sign of a nation that will not shy away from exercising its muscle and has emerged well in the world defense market.
From its citizens digging into their pockets to assist in funding the purchase of some jets, to the day a homegrown fighter aircraft flies for the first time, South Korea’s rollercoaster has been anything but boring.
The F-4 Phantom would otherwise have been merely on the pages of history, but it lives on—reincarnated in the wings of the KF-21 Boramae, and in the tale of a nation not forgotten.