An SBS report revealed that, under the orders of Air Force Chief of Staff Son Seok-rak, pilots canceled pre-scheduled flight missions to indulge in drinking, singing, and partying to the accompaniment of military band soldiers. The biggest concern that arose during reporting was, "What if the Air Force tries to hunt down the whistleblower?" That concern now shows signs of becoming reality.

Word has reached this reporter that certain organizations within the Air Force are quietly "analyzing the SBS report, as well as videos and photos from the drinking parties, to deduce the whistleblower's identity". Describing the hunt in further detail might inadvertently publicize the tracking methods being used, so I will leave it at that. I hope they refrain from hunting down the whistleblower.

Word is also circulating that some retired Air Force generals are cheering on active-duty Air Force generals, saying, "There is nothing wrong with this," "This is malicious criticism from people who do not understand how hard pilots have it, and we took even better care of pilots in the past," and "Hold strong". I hope they, too, will exercise restraint. I urge them to look at the essence of this crisis.
  Drinking alcohol in the evening is not inherently forbidden. However, one must consider when, where, and how it is consumed. The Air Force has numerous branches, yet the Chief of Staff singled out only fighter pilots and threw drinking and singing parties inside military bases, putting military band soldiers, helicopter pilots, and maintenance crews to great trouble. This is deeply problematic.

Looking into what happened at the drinking gatherings reveals many embarrassing scenes. Soldiers from the military band reportedly arrived at the wing hosting the event around 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. After eating an early lunch at their own unit, they traveled by bus to the wing where the event was held. An officer belonging to a certain wing said, "The band soldiers waited around idly and couldn't even eat dinner properly before preparing to perform at the banquet venue," adding, "It was painful to watch them holding back hunger and playing the guitar and singing with smiles on their faces while the pilots grilled meat, drank, and partied."

Several pilots point out that the focus of the event was tailored to "how much they could please the Chief of Staff." One pilot confessed, "If an event at a certain wing was plain, evaluations inside the Air Force followed that 'it wasn't fun,'" and "The goal of the wing preparing the event was to receive praise that 'the Chief of Staff was in a good mood.'" Another pilot said, "During the event, the Chief of Staff shared autobiographical stories and asked many questions," and "He gave Starbucks gift cards to pilots who answered."

Amid the drinking and singing, Chief of Staff Son encouraged canceling flights after drinking by saying things like, "It's fine if you don't fly tomorrow, right?" While some pilots reportedly cheered at the Chief of Staff's remarks, quite a few were inwardly worried, thinking, "This is not right." One pilot who observed the event throughout confessed, "It took a great deal of effort to prepare an entertaining event," and "Not all pilots who drank with a smile on the outside felt comfortable inside." Above all, many pilots seem to have been shocked that the Chief of Staff—who has no authority to order the initiation or termination of pilots' flight missions—ordered flight cancellations just to drink.
  While the pilots who had to take part in the event have complaints, how could that compare to the feelings of personnel from other branches? When service members from other branches smell grilled meat and hear joyous singing drifting from the Chief of Staff-hosted party from afar, anger can only flare up. In particular, helicopter pilots and maintenance personnel who spent the entire day supporting the event seem deeply disappointed.

The pilot discussion sessions hosted by Chief of Staff Son Seok-rak took place six times: April 8 (flight canceled due to weather), April 16 (flight canceled by Chief of Staff's order), April 21 (flight canceled by Chief of Staff's order), April 29 (flight canceled by Chief of Staff's order), May 7 (flights partially adjusted), and May 11 (flights conducted as scheduled). Among these, during the events on April 8, 16, and 21, Chief of Staff Son traveled back and forth between Gyeryongdae and the respective wings by helicopter. It is reported that the helicopter pilots and maintenance personnel who completed the flight missions were relieved from duty only at midnight.

A retired Air Force helicopter pilot pointed out, "Over the past few decades, the Chief of Staff's command helicopter has returned late many times while supporting drinking parties for fighter pilots," adding, "Active-duty helicopter pilots probably won't even find the current situation surprising." The helicopter pilot vented, "The command helicopter is basically the Chief of Staff's taxi, and since helicopter pilots rarely get promoted, we don't even feel relative deprivation at this point."

The Air Force leadership must examine this situation cool-headedly. Although they attempted to boost morale by singling out and favoring pilots, young pilots do not even seem to welcome this divisive preferential treatment. Given the heavy concentration of Air Force aircraft accidents, singling out only pilots for special care appears to have made the pilots themselves uncomfortable. Meanwhile, alienated personnel from other branches are simply left feeling bitter. It is time for the Air Force leadership to assess the situation objectively and make common-sense efforts toward harmony across the entire Air Force. They must truly understand the hearts and minds of the service members.