Lee Ho-jeong. (Photo courtesy of the Republic of Korea Air Force)

She moved to the RoK in 2001 and acquired Korean citizenship in 2007. Lee, a mother of two children who also works as a banking employee and a Vietnamese language tutor, managed to obtain a pilot's licence for light aircraft.

Every two years, the Korean air force appoints four national pilots, who are granted the opportunity to fly in an active military aircraft. Korean nationals aged above 17 can file an application.

This year, the national pilots will fly in the T-50 fighter jet during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, which is being held at Seoul Air Base.

More than 2,600 people filed applications for this year's national pilot program, marking the highest competition rate since its launch in 2007.