Pilot exodus in military: Air Force loses veteran pilots to commercial airlines

“Hundreds of veteran Air Force pilots have left the military for commercial airlines over the past decade amid poor working conditions, causing significant losses for the military, data showed. According to Air Force data submitted to Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, Sunday, a total of 896 veteran pilots voluntarily left the service from 2017 to March this year. The term "veteran pilots" refers to those with eight to 17 years of experience who are capable of independently carrying out operations and training lower-grade pilots. In the first three months of this year alone, 47 pilots left the Air Force to join civilian airlines. Of the total, up to 622, or 69.4 percent, joined Korean Air, the country's flagship carrier, while 147, or 16.4 percent, joined Asiana Airlines and 103, or 11.5 percent, joined low-cost carriers. Separate 2025 data compiled by Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, another member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, showed that 113 v

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