"If a real conflict breaks out, I will never draw back and do my utmost to beat the enemy without fail," he said in the statement.

He edged past others in hitting a target with a diameter of less than 4 meters placed on the ground while his jet was flying at an altitude of around 6 kilometers. He also distinguished himself in infiltrating enemy airspace to drop bombs while also responding quickly to an enemy fighter, the Air Force said.

The pilot attended the competition after achieving more than 1,800 flight hours, of which 1,300 were on the F-15K, it said.

He plans to donate the prize money of 1.5 million won ($1,300) to an Air Force foundation set up to help bereaved children with a parent that died for the country as a military pilot. (Yonhap)