The Korea Forest Service agreed to modify a purchase contract so that an initially promised new ultra-large helicopter would be replaced by a military remanufactured aircraft, authorities and an investigative reporter say. The helicopter model in question is the exact US company helicopter currently housed in the Korea Forest Service hangar and is owned by that US company, meaning it cannot be seized. The Forest Service described the aircraft as capable of carrying 10,000 liters of water at once and said it is essential for wildfire response.
The Forest Service told reporters it accepted the contract change after concluding that, at the time of the award, only one ultra-large helicopter model fit the budget and had no certification issues. Production of that model, however, was suspended starting in 2024, leaving no alternatives, the agency said. Officials added that canceling the contract and buying a new helicopter would create a gap in wildfire suppression capabilities during the interim, which is why they opted for a contract modification rather than termination.
Investigations into the contract change
A corruption report has been filed with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, and an investigation is currently under way, the investigative reporter Bae Yeo-un said. The core subjects of that probe are whether it was appropriate to change the purchase to a military remanufactured helicopter that had been operated for over 40 years instead of buying a new aircraft, and whether the purchase price was fair.
The Board of Audit and Inspection has also included the project in its regular audit of the Korea Forest Service and is conducting a full-scale investigation, according to the reporting.
Wildfire helicopter alternatives and short-term plans
In the short term, the Korea Forest Service plans to increase the operational rate of existing helicopters and to lease additional helicopters from abroad. Experts cited by the report say that because the acquisition project has been delayed and certification issues have become unclear, future helicopter procurement requires a complete overhaul in both approach and methodology. They call for a long-term roadmap instead of securing a budget and buying equipment only after a major wildfire occurs, and stress the urgency of establishing a system that pre-verifies model safety, past operating history and certification status.
