Kwon Ki-ok
#WomensHistoryMonth
Kwon Ki-ok (1901–1988) was Korea’s first female pilot.
Kwon was born on 11 January 1901 in Sangsugu village, Pyeongyang, North Korea. She was the youngest of two siblings born to Kwon Don-gak and Jang Mun-myeong. As a young girl she had the opportunity to see American stunt pilot Art Smith, which inspired her to become a pilot herself.
Her schooling begun with Sunghyeon Elementary School in 1913. In 1916, she enrolled in Soongeui Girl’s School in Pyeongyang and joined the Songjookhui, a group of students who secretly participated in anti-Japanese activities. Following her graduation in 1919, she participated in March 1st Independence protest movement, which called for independence from imperial Japan.
As with many others who participated in the March 1st Independence movement, she was imprisoned for her actions. She spent three weeks in jail, but it did not stop her from participating in the independence movement. She continued to raise funds for the Korean Patriotic Women’s Association, a group which supported Korea’s liberation and centered around women. When she was arrested for the second time, she was sentenced to six months of imprisonment.
When she was released, she could no longer remain in Korea and decided to go to Shanghai, China, where the Korean government in exile, known as the Korean Provisional Government (KPG), was based.
In China, she began to further her education and in 1921 enrolled at Hongdao Women’s School to learn Chinese and English. She finished the four-year programme in just two years.
She enrolled at the Republic of China Air Force School in Yunnan with the support and recommendation of the Korean government in exile. She graduated as the only woman in her class and the first Korean woman to learn to fly. She served in the Chinese air force, and in 1940, she received the rank of lieutenant colonel. She also worked for the KPG with her husband Lee Sang-jeong.
She returned to Korea after the end of World War II and the independence of her country. Kwon was crucial in the creation of the Republic of Korea Air Force and even continued to serve the country through the Korean war as a member of South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense.
She passed away on 19 April 1988 and was put to rest in the National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul.
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Kwon Ki-ok
