North Korean Pilot's Daring Defection
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- This video was made possible thanks to everyone on the Simple History Patreon: / simplehistory
As North Korean fighter-pilot No Kum-Sok gazed down at the ruins of Pyongyang at 19,000 feet, he weighed up the pros and cons of defecting for one last time.
A decorated veteran of the Korean War, if he stayed he would live the rest of his life in comfort. If he left and plunged into the unknown, there was high chance he would perish in the process.
Then suddenly, he envisioned a lifetime of mind-numbing ideological meetings, lies, betrayal and denunciation. His mind was made up - he simply had to escape.
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Credit:
Show Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Script: Jake Leigh-Howarth
Narrator: Bryan 'Lazlo' Beauregard
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I ate a burger
Edit: it tastes like burger
Please make a video about the filipino american war
You should do a video on the uss liberty unless you are a paid shill like many other youtube "history channels"
Now what was it he deflected in? A Mig15 or a Mig15 UTI? I see both in this story, lol...
Imagine the elation he must’ve felt finally escaping Korea, and reaching your dream country, and then that country gives you $100k
Well you know as they say, "The enemy one of whose troops defects to my side is my friend!"
Man that was clunky phrasing! But the dude brought them a plane, some Intel as well as an admiration of their values!
.
Best defection ever!
100k back then is also more than 100k today.
@@onii-chandaisuki5710It’s $1,186,113.86 in today’s money
adjusted for inflation that is offer a million dollars
Back then a Porsche 911 was like $4,000
I've seen his plane many times at the museum and i once got a chance to talk to him as a child. He was a humble man.
Wow
Forrest 기분 나쁨
Why would you talk to him like he was a child?
@stephenday2342 I was referring to myself I was only 11
Didn't you ask him , why he left his family to die ,because of his escape ?
“The US offered to return the jet to North Korea - this offer was ignored.”
😂😂😂
This is oddly hilarious
@@annorabellebooby trapped
I laughed when he said that. "Hey, we reversed engineered your jet to where we'll be able to counter your systems for decades to come. You can have it back now."
@@iusefacebookalso**Quiet angry north Korea noises**
@@iusefacebookalsoThe jet in question being older than my pet rock.
He was my Academic Advisor at my university, in Aircraft Engineering Technology, in 1987. As an 18 year old student, I didn’t know who he was; often, while in his office, I’d glance past him, to see a very small, blurred black and white picture of what appears to be a young Chinese fighter pilot standing next to a MIG-15? I never asked him about it, until, one day, my classmate told me, that he was a North Korean pilot who had defected to the US, in his MIG-15……I simply laughed, and told my friend that he watched too much James Bond movies. Until about 25 year after I graduated, after watching UA-cam, I finally realized who he was. I believed he passed away in 2022.
RIP Dr. Rowe.
Damn that's a really deep story right there
Wow your lucky that he was your teacher
This man risked it all, and it all paid off. Bless this man and his incredible luck to pull off the stunt of the century.
I mean I wouldn't say it all paid off, I am sure he still had to live with the fact he more than likely was responsible for his entire family bloodline basically being executed.
@@bobbabouy8537 true
@@bobbabouy8537 We don't know what happened to them. Did they actually kill the children as well???
@@bobbabouy8537 he was a selfish traitor and did not cared for his family .
@@Based_Gigachad_001North Korean have zero tolerance policy toward to those they're deem traitors. A few years ago Kim Jong Un order execution entire family line of his uncle. So yes there is high possibility no exception were made for children of traitors. Even if they're spare the children they would still be sent North Korea equivalent of Soviet Gulags which is not a better alternative if you ask me.
It's somewhat heartwarming to see a war hero, even if he was on the other side, live.
He's the kind of person who leads by example. Eventually, others will follow suit.
It’s amazing how he remained undetected by acting like a perfect communist!
That's because he just wanted a better fucking life.
He didn't want to be tyrant, he didn't want to be an indoctrinator, he didn't even want to listen to this bullshit any longer.
He just wanted something better than this crap and when he saw an opportunity to open he worked so hard for he took it!
And boy was it worth it! I like that.
@@Soundwave142Exactly. In the '50s too! What a legend.
You're forgetting he sacrificed his entire family and some of his fellow troops for himself. He's just another dude looking out for himself only, not any kind of hero.
@@ACEfromVisa559 That is North Korea's fault not his.
Dude manifested all of this. How incredible, chosen to be a pilot, nobody noticed him, the radars were down, he got 100k (1.1mil today) on touch down. Just insane.
Free and rich. The man had all the luck with him that day.
I hope I am as lucky as him . Sigh *
Manifesting is placebo optimism.
Radars were out, and US wants to reverse engineer that plane
Straight up had a Forest Gump story!
I wonder if he ever got the chance to have a girlfriend, a dog, and a car. And drive alongside the California coastline. Godspeed to him. May he rest in peace.
I guess he did. He had a wife and 2 kids, and a grandson, at least according to Wikipedia.
No, I'm South Korean and he actually had a depressing life in South Korea because he was guilty about leaving his family in NK.... I'm sure his family got executed or sent to prison camp for escaping with expensive jet..
@terryheo3464 not the same guy
At his request, No and his mother came to America to lead full and free lives. No changed his name to Kenneth Rowe, graduated from the University of Delaware and married. This story is at the United States Airforce Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
His girlfriend died, his dog was killed, and his car was stolen. He then changed his name to Jung Wook.
The man may not have been born an American citizen, but he's more American than many in my country.
America may not be the best country in the world but it still is a rather nice country.
There isn't another country that defeated two separate enemies and didn't keep their land for themselves,didn't subjugate their people, and helped, monetarily and physically, rebuild their nations. Name 1 country, kingdom,or empire that has done this. Well, America did after WWII with Germany and Japan. And America catches so much grief from around the world and its own citizens. We're not perfect , but we're better than the alternative. Let China ,Russia, or Iran replace America as #1. We'll all be speaking their language and live miserable lives under authoritarian rule. People would be begging for the US to be the #1 super power again. God bless the U.S.!!@
Dang right!
Oh please! You dont know many of 340 million people so please stfu
The worst Americans are born with citizenship, the best Americans earned it.
It’s weird how the Russians treated the North Koreans poorly yet were their biggest economic support as well as security with China
russia being russia
The Russians bro, they can be defeated with bread. Just offer their soldiers a warm meal and bedding and they'd all surrender
Russians treat everyone like that, including fellow russians.
@@TTV_Breezercommunism diet, gotta love it when your enemy uses it.
After World War II, Stalin couldn’t take the US head on for world domination. So the Soviets starting supporting suppling instigating every communist revolution and authoritarian regime in a power play. If it wasn’t for the Soviets, Korea’s communist revolution would have been put down by the local police.
1:10s he’s dads integrity saved his life.
True, very big influence on him and how his ideals started.
He would've been a great fighter pilot rather than a kamikaze pilot.
Yeah they kinda glossed over this, but his father's reaction taught him about nationalistic propaganda and reality. He was taught in school that imperial Japan was force of good, and Koreans should give life to Japan's mission. 24/7 propaganda in schools made him believe this. But due to his father's actions he learnt these propagandas were fake and one should care more about himself not the state.
This is one of the best stories I’ve ever heard of escaping communism! He was real clever, he knew that the best way to avoid getting caught by the communists, is to act like an ideal one! He really was blessed and lucky on the day of his escape, he made a clean getaway and landed in a boatload of money to start his new life in America!
A hundred grand in the 50's was a lot of money. It still is. To me anyway...
That money is still enough to start a life in the US easily
I’m surprised I’ve never heard of this man sooner, and he Died the Year I Graduated High School
As these guys said, a hundred grand is still a lot of money these days. That’s enough for a decent apartment, a car, and live comfortably for at least a year. Plus I’m sure the military paid him handsomely for more information considering it’s hard to put a price on crucial intelligence.
I feel that a lot of these staunch communists are all actors pretending to be communists, and are all compelled to show face and act their script convincingly, even if it would get their own comrade killed. It's a toxic culture where you all pretend to be communists but you have the incentive to rat each other out.
He was my drafting professor at Embry Riddle. He never discussed any of this in class, but his book was in the school book store.
He was my academic advisor at ERAU
He was my Thermodynamics instructor at ERAU. He was a really cool guy and a great teacher. Sad to hear that he has passed.
He never talk about it so u'll have to buy his book
I used to hate professors who chose their own books as textbooks. They always release new versions with only few pages added and they were almost guaranteed to be in tests so you were forced to buy new ones most of them over $100.
MacArthur: Nuke em!
Truman: No!
MacArthur: NUKE EM!
Truman: NO!
MacArthur: AH COME ON!
Truman: You’re fired!
Dude Sooooooo Cool!!!!
oOooOOooh NooOOo!!
@@SlyCooper1920thank God Google was here to translate your comment. I couldn't read it prior....
I got to say Josephine is a great kisser.
@@JohnsonAttackThatBoomcannon what?! Can someone PLEASE tell me who kissed Josephine?
I met this man in person multiple times. His son was my father's best friend. Awesome people.
I’m surprised Ive never Learned of this Man sooner, and he died a Year ago, and the Year I Graduated High School, his story is truly Inspirational 😯
Passed away at the age of 90 in Florida, USA. What a giga chad
He passed away with his freedom.
The respect I have for this dude is insane. Absolute legend, god bless him.
This man had balls of steel.
It's amazing that plane was still able to fly with such balls.
The plane barely took off trying to carry the massive weight of his tungsten balls
He just wants to break free.
Real hes really proving in the name😂
I imagine him like that South Park episode where randy gave himself cancer with a microwave and his balls got huge, this dude must’ve straight bounced on his balls on over to shake the American hands 😭🤣
One of the most epic “I Quit” stories in history.
Fr
I did a thing with the US Army in Sudan in 1988. We landed (C-141) at Khartoum International Airport. On the tarmac, were several Mig15s, in full Sudanese livery. Still in use after some 39 years. Given Sudanese equipment maintenance practices, it was kind of a miracle.
I always forget that the UA-cam community is comprised of people of varied history. Glad you were able to make it out alive there.
@@AeroLMS thanks, so am I. I am grateful for your comment, means a lot. No kidding.
Americans: Look! A Commie!
"MOTOR CAR! MOTOR CAR!"
Americans: Oh, false alarm ~ he's good.
That was daring bold move for the pilot to land at a American Air Force base in South Korea
Guys a badass for keeping his intentions to himself for that long surrounded by loyal military officers
It's not that hard if you grew up being told to not be open about stuff.
The plane is at the us air force museum in Dayton,Oh if anyone is curious
What state?
@@estebannunez6902it’s right there in the comment: Dayton, OH. But I bet if you used a search engine for Dayton, you could find it there, too…
@@estebannunez6902 Dayton Ohio
@@estebannunez6902 Dayton, Ohio
@@estebannunez6902 Thats Dayton, Ohio.
Another great video as usual Simple History, once again you've enlighted me with another obscure fact of the Korean War. Kudos to you🎉.
I had the joy of seeing his MIG-15 in person at the Air Force Museum! On top of his Jet being on display, they also have: his TT33 pistol, the 100,000 dollar check, and several personal belongings he had on him!
Very very cool display!
I love your videos. Makes it easier to get my son into history. Thank you so much.
The $100k reminds me of the Russian chopper pilot that defected to Ukraine in 2022, I think he got $500k-1mil cause he brought his chopper with him. Helps to do the right thing & risk your life if you add in incentives like that!
But, the problem is what happens to his family, back in Russia?
@@tommypaget2294Pretty sure he managed to get some of his family out (possibly his mother, gf). It took 6+ months of communication with Ukrainian authorities.
@@tommypaget2294they’d probably rather die than believe that that their Fuher is committing genocide
I think the guy who defected is dead.
I saw something in the news about a Russian Pilot being assassinated in spain i think
the russians got him regardless possibly
but, this might be a different unrelated story
@rockyeet699 you can't really defect from Russia, putins cronies will track you down no matter where you go. The Russians have literally ever country on earth saturated with spies and hitmen
This MiGs have more powerful engines than expected. How else can they carry that guys giant brass balls into South Korea?
What a amazing story of a man seeking freedom & doing it in a spectacular way. Hollywood should make a movie of this!
His risky escape could've cost him his life or worse but thank god that he has luck om his side on managing to escape amd defect from North Korea to go to South korea military Airbase so that he can live his good life getting him freedom and enjoying what he wanted. I salute this man for his risky but a great action.
The element of luck is not a coincidence, if anything it manifests out of optimism.
The actions you do, your mindset, the way you see the world and how it sees you, it's rather supernatural at times...
Growing up I sometimes see myself being lucky at times, I don't believe in god so to speak but in the world itself, like karma and such.
You put faith in the world itself and sometimes it responds in weird ways.
Not as a personified entity, but the environment you live in. I think it's called Animism?
Looked it up, I think Quantum Animism makes more sense, it's like the planet has a life force so to speak.
@@dra6o0nKarma is just consequences. Not a universal moral equilibrium.
I briefly misread this video's title as: 'North Korean Pilot's Daring *Defecation'.*
To all American servicemen and women military and civil.
I thank you for your service and sacrifices you have made for your family, and country. May your names be remembered with honor.
What service? Is killing citizens in foreign countries a service to you? How?
What service and sacrifices?
Very intelligent man. Could be a great intelligence officer. Also, got all the perfect condition for his defection. Intelligent, brave, strong-willed, and very lucky.
But the price to pay though, family, love ones, and comrades that get left behind. That's how they can hold them off from leaving.
There was a flight sim game in the nineties, "Chuck Yeager's Air Combat", which had a fictionalised version of this as one of the missions
I had that game!!!!!
Played it for many, many hours.
@@brothergrimaldus3836it's the man not the machine.
I remember that game with fondness…it was a good diversion from studying Masters degree. 😊
Yup. That plane sits at the Museum to this day. I saw it on display with a Sabre last January.
*This story could make a pretty good movie if it was ever made.*
my dad was at that airfield and met that man during the war. they were surprised how good that mig was.
Proud to be an American 🇺🇲
Even the parts about the Natives and slavery?
@PROVOCATEURSK not everyone lives in the past everyone has a right to be proud to be of a certain country besides you should be worrying about how there is still child slavery in other places of the world
@@dijo5496I agree with you about the need to not be stuck in the past. But all events must be aknowledge. Else you get some people cherry picking events from the past depending on how it suits them.
Being French with parents from Senegal I can speak about my personal case debating with a self proclaimed patriot explaining to me I was not a real French for not having my ancestors based on centuries of living in France so not having contributed to the greatness of France. But at the same time those same people will explain that slavery/ colonialism is a thing of the past and has no link with the current situation of some Western African countries.
That's was a great video, by the way. Would it be possible to do about Viktor Belenko & Alexander Zuyev who defect with MiG-25 & MiG-29?
Very good job dudes!! Congratulations 991.71% yo. The man may not have been born an American citizen, but he's more American than many in my country.
Quite an unfortunate name...
Facts lmaoaoaoaoa
The only NORTH KOREAN I thank for his service and proud to have you as me AMERICAN brother
Can't imagine what his family went through
Sort of like when your family found out you were gay
@@markmower1746 whoa, easy there Incel Icarus - you're flying awfully close to the lamp in your mom's basement!
@@TheEdmondsMartialArtsAcademy why don't you go do karate in the garage with your stepbrother.
@@markmower1746 too busy laying the pipe to your mom...son.
@@markmower1746 why don't you stop whining about dunking your Oreos in water because daddy never came back with the milk.
The actual aircraft is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
A prime example of "it's now or never".
That's crazy. I saw that very plane (Mig-15) in the Dayton USAF museum a few weeks ago
Great video,I learned a lot that I didn't know, thanks.
I’ve seen his aircraft a bunch, I go to the museum all the time. And love seeing his MiG along with the museums collection of other MiG aircraft
Absolute legend! Thank you for the video!
Not surprised he changed his name, given the propensity for people to make fun of words that sound like different words in their native tongue.
US Pilot: Mig! Mig!
NK pilot: Motor Car! Motor Car!
US Pilot: Oh! Understandable. Here’s 100k more.
I remember reading about for this for the first time.
I can already picture his hands must had been sweating and his body shaking as he flew that mig out of North Korea, like your doing what is a very daring move your whole body it trembling with a mix of fear an excitement in what your gonna do an your just hoping to god no one spots you or gets shot down from either side. An it was sweet that the soldiers gave him a nice cold coca cola as his first American drink, the most iconic soft drink that American are known for drinking.
moms spaghetti
I didn't know about him, such a brave intelligent man!
Yeager wrote in his book that he was pissed he had to fly the mig. He absolutely despised it's handling and felt it was inferior to the sabre ❤
That's very strange, considering dog-fighting inequities (Mig being tighter turning radius)
Bless this North Korean pilot who defected three months after the Korean War ended! No was a very brave man to have risked his life by landing at a USAF base, emigrating to the US, then becoming an American citizen. And the Mig aircraft eventually ended up in an Air Force museum. Shows me a man of conviction who loved the Land of the Free. ☺️😸
As an insane Californian man once said, "Just do it. Don't let your dreams be dreams."
These comment bots piss me off
Report them.
Thank you for this beauteful informationed video.
That was a great story. That man is a true American badass
There should be a channel dedicated to uplifting stories just like this! I was blown away watching this.
His life deserves to have a movie.
In 1965 I observed the exact same thing. At Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico Lt. Roberto Mendez flew there and defected. I watched as he pulled up to base operations. Some 55 years later I am telling this story in Spanish to my eye doctor. The eye doctor was LT Mendez’s. Nephew. Mendez defected from the rebel Dominican Air Force.
$100k in 1953 is worth about $1.2m now. Noiiice!
I havn't been to that museum in years, as a kid our school would bus us down there every year where, as kids do, we ran around ignorant of the history around us. Bockscar is there, the plane that dropped the bomb over nagasaki. I must go and actually learn something. Also, there's a nuclear railcar I never knew was there.
The enola gay?
Looking at the movies at my local multi-cinema, I see mostly remakes and comic books. This guy's story would have been so much better.
It is crazy that in his lifetime, he saw how the Soviet communist tore apart his home land and then watch his government choose to become an ally of the very communist Soviet government that forced them to flee for South Korea.
Yes, it's a great example of starting over, living free, sacrifice,,extreme sacrifice.
I read the title as “defecation” at first 😅
I learned about Operation Moolah in the 1990's, playing the mission on "Chuck Yeager Air Combat".
Very excellent. Thank You. I've heard many stories about defectors from Communist countries & I always ask, "What happened to their families"? And, "Was it therefore worth it"?
I've seen that plane add my last visit to the museum but I had no idea it belonged to a Defector
motorcar! motorcar! i died laughing.
As a military brat, i have nothing but respect to dare to dream and gather the conviction and resolve to follow through in face of the odds. May he rest in peace.
The name is a legendary American name
Great video and story
Absolute Legend.
0:24 nice details with the horns
"MOTORCAR! MOTORCAR!"
I'm blessed to have heard this as told to us by General "Tom" Collins, the first American pilot to fly the MIG 15. He was a member of our Aero Club at Kelly/Lackland Air Force base, San Antonio. According to Gen. Collins, the pilot had a leaflet with him. America had dropped these leaflets advertising that the first pilot to defect and bring a MIG 15 to the Americans would get citizenship and $100K. There were performance characteristics of the MIG 15 that were not understood, so we wanted one. When the cease fire stopped the hostilities, Gen. Collins said he didn't think we'd get our hands on one and they were very surprised to hear about this happening.
Here's a fun part of the story he told to us that you may enjoy: They got the plane disassembled quickly and got it to Kaden Air Base, Okinawa. Inside a hanger, they set about disassembling the plane to reverse engineer it and learn how it works - so they could teach themselves how to fly it. In the hanger one day they were lifting the ejection seat off its guide rails with an overhead crane. As soon as it cleared the rails, they heard a ticking sound, like a clock ticking. Thinking the plane was booby trapped in some way, they evacuated the hanger immediately and watched from a safe distance. After about 20 minutes, he said they "found the lowest ranking guy and sent him in to investigate." It turns out that the MIG 15 has a mechanical device that would be triggered as the seat left the rails. After the timer ran out, the restraint holding the pilot to the seat would separate so he wasn't parachuting to the ground with a very heavy seat attached to him. In American fighters this was accomplished by means of a small explosive charge, so they weren't expecting the ticking sound. He was an incredible man with a photographic memory. I believe he got to meet the North Korean pilot in person, but I'm not 100% certain of that.
This story is fascinating - thanks for sharing the video and thanks for letting this old Airman chime in.
"offered to return the aircraft but was ignored"
well, yeah because according to North Korea, this event never happened.
You all should do a video on the Belgian resistance in WWII They were really cool and pretty overlooked compared to the French resistance
One thing about America that no other country I know of can do: You become a citizen here, you're American. There isn't anything extra tacked on. If I went to France and become a citizen there, I still wouldn't be French. No Kim-Sok was American, through and through, to the end.
Ahem... Australia......
@@1978sjt What about Australia?
@@1978sjt uhm being french is much more than just an ethnicity.
@@Based_Gigachad_001 I'm not referring to becoming french, i'm referring to becoming Australian, you get Aussie Citizen ship, you're Aussie (even if you hold dual citizenship)
Good thing America added a little provision in their immigration laws at the time about letting in people as political refugees from Commie countries. Under any other circumstances, he would be denied entry into the US on account that he is (flip notes) "East Asian" which under the then subsisting 1924 Quota laws were strictly controlled. Fun fact: in 1956 Congress has to pass a law relaxing the 1924 Quota Laws for fleeing Hungarians in the aftermath of the failed Hungarian Revolution as the latter place a strict quota on "Eastern European" arrivals...
He was a man who wanted to live a better life and not live a life of lies by those who only cared about controlling people.
He was a selfish and irresponsible psychopath who stopped at literally nothing in pursuit of his goal.
I’m sorry what’s his name??
Thought the same
He’s a lucky man. The fact is, very few made it alive from North to South, and he made it through his whole life in the US as a defector.
Freedom always triumphs over communism.
It clearly doesn't or else communist nations would never exist and freedom would be universal.
See even back then ...there people want to leave..hmmm
Am I the only one being triggered by the fact that the MiG 15's and Sabres have afterburners in the animation? 💀
yes
This question troubled me from the first minutes of the video and the answer was frustratingly predictable.
>several people executed for nothing
>the family's fate unknown
So, another self-centered "hero" caring only about himself. Zero respect, not sorry.
The insanity required to blame him for the actions of his government is insane. Bet you really hate whistleblowers too don’t you?
"Everyone who leads in great escape
Leaves a thousand more who suffer in their wake"
Great vid! I was expecting to hear about Chuck Yeager too, after just reading his autobiography, in which there is a chapter on his last flight as a test pilot, after which he went back to flying in active military service. His last test flight was the captured MIG-15. During the debrief, one of the other pilots to fly the MIG said that the Sabre was superior in most every way, but Yeager disagreed, saying it’s got some issiues, but it’s not the plane, it’s the pilot. The other man disagreed so Chuck beat him first while flying his Sabre against the other man in the MIG, and then they traded planes and Yeager won again.
No what sock?
lmaoooo
A VERY nice video. thank you
me pretending to agree with my communist professors in my college elective courses so I can get an A
Not even similar. You won't be executed for disagreeing with your professors.
@@Based_Gigachad_001Yet.
@@Based_Gigachad_001You won't be executed, but you sure won't get your degree.
And if the professor is enough of a nutjob, they may try to rally their fellow "comrades" to character assassinate and ostracize you with accusations of ism and phobias, and get you expelled.
@@Based_Gigachad_001He’s joking.
Want to talk about religious schools and how fanatic they are?
Fascinating story. I’d not heard of this before. For balance, how about covering the story of the American soldiers who defected to North Korea?
Oh god, that. Who in their right mind would ever do that?
Dresnok a habitual anti authority guy who. Immigrés a lot of Crimes back home. He joined the army and defected at the border he was married with a woman from the eastern block so he could breed white North Korean children who could play evil westerners in North Korean movies.
never heard of this, epic video.