World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
South Korea names its first woman Top Heligun
South Korea’s Army named Major Pyeon Yeon-ju its first female Top Heligun, an honor for the top marksman among combat helicopter pilots.
Pyeon, an Apache pilot, shared the title with Warrant Officer Song Young-il, who won it for the second time.
The award followed the Army’s helicopter gunnery competition, held from August 3 to September 3 at a range in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
The title recognizes the best individual shooting performance, and the winners receive the President’s Award.
Twenty-five Army aviation battalions and about 200 pilots competed, flying five types of helicopters.
The competition also included night and anti-drone shooting to prepare crews for modern warfare.
The Army held an awards ceremony on October 30; it also named the 901st Aviation Battalion the top attack-helicopter unit for the sixth consecutive year.
South Korea’s Army has named Major Pyeon Yeon-ju its first woman Top Heligun, the title for the best combat-helicopter shooter.
Pyeon and Warrant Officer Song Young-il were selected as the 28th Top Heligun and will receive the presidential award.
They earned the honors at the 38th Army Aviation Gunnery Competition, held from Aug. 3 to Sept. 3 at Bisung Range in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
Pyeon is an AH-64E Apache pilot serving as an aviation operations officer with the 12th Division.
Song won the title for a second time, after first receiving it in 2015.
- Who
- Major Pyeon Yeon-ju and Warrant Officer Song Young-il, Apache pilots.
- What
- They were named the 28th Top Heligun. Pyeon is the Army’s first woman to receive the title.
- When
- The Army announced the selection on Oct. 30, 2026.
- Where
- The competition took place at Bisung Range in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
- Why
- They achieved the top results in individual shooting at the Army Aviation Gunnery Competition.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The 38th Army Aviation Gunnery Competition was held at Bisung Range in Yangpyeong.
The Army announced Pyeon and Song as the 28th Top Heligun and held an awards ceremony.
- Competition dates
- Aug. 3-Sept. 3, 2026
- Competition location
- Bisung Range, Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province
- Award recipients
- Major Pyeon Yeon-ju and Warrant Officer Song Young-il
- Pyeon’s unit and aircraft
- 901st Aviation Battalion; AH-64E Apache
- Participating forces
- 25 battalions and about 200 pilots across five aircraft types
- Song’s earlier title
- 2015, flying a 500MD helicopter
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What people are saying
I feel honored. This honor was not achieved by my efforts alone; it was possible because my unit members worked hard behind the scenes.
Being selected as Top Heligun for the second time feels special, and I am grateful to the battalion members who were with me.