As President Lee Jae-myung's term begins, attention is drawn to the presidential helicopter and the presidential aircraft, which are extensions of the presidential office. The presidential helicopter is in the process of being newly acquired from overseas suppliers, and the presidential aircraft, Code One, is leased from Korean Air.
The presidential helicopter is newly introduced from overseas with a budget of 870 billion won. The Surion, made by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), is a 8.7-ton (t) medium-large helicopter, but the model used as the presidential helicopter is a 11~12t large helicopter. Former President Moon Jae-in rode the Surion at the Armed Forces Day event in 2019, but this was to promote the domestic helicopter. The current command helicopter is a model from Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.
In April, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration deliberated and resolved the purchase plan for the Command Helicopter-II project through the Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee. Candidates include the H225M from Airbus (EU), the Bell 525 from Bell (U.S.), the AW-101 from Leonardo (Italy), and the S-92A+ from Lockheed Martin (U.S.). The planned number to be introduced is four, and the expense per unit is known to be about 200 billion won. Multiple helicopters are operated simultaneously so that it is not known on which one the president is, ensuring security. The president primarily uses the dedicated helicopter for Seoul Airport and local schedules.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration plans to issue a bid announcement and evaluate proposals this year, followed by test evaluations. An official from the administration said they aim to decide on and contract the model within the first quarter of next year.
The presidential aircraft, known as Code One, is currently a Boeing 747-8i model leased from Korean Air. Before the Lee Myung-bak administration, contracts were sometimes made with Asiana Airlines depending on the administration, but since the early 2010s, the system has been operated by signing five-year contracts with Korean Air. The second aircraft is operated by the Air Force.
The Boeing 747-8i model was introduced in 2021, replacing the older 747-400 model after interior renovations. It is a contract worth about 300 billion won over five years. This aircraft is actively deployed on long-haul routes to regions such as the Americas and Europe, boasting superior fuel efficiency compared to other models. Korean Air is known to have a dedicated Code One department to support the operation of the presidential aircraft. The crew members, including pilots assigned to Code One, are selected based on rigorous evaluations and standards.
Debates over the expense of the dedicated aircraft have persisted. Since the Roh Moo-hyun administration, there have been suggestions to change the operation method of the dedicated aircraft from leasing to ownership for cost reduction. Lee Geun-young, a professor of aviation operations at Korea National University of Transportation, said, 'The current dedicated aircraft is the best in the world, even better than the U.S.’s. A 787 Dreamliner, which costs about half, would not be inadequate.'