HS-748 presidential aircraft exhibition opens in Seoul

By Kim Hee-su Posted : August 10, 2026, 11:49 Updated : August 10, 2026, 11:49
The cockpit of a former presidential HS-748 aircraft is seen at the National Aviation Museum of Korea's outdoor exhibition area in Seoul. Courtesy of the National Aviation Museum of Korea
SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - South Korea's National Aviation Museum will open a special exhibition Tuesday tracing the more than five-decade history of the HS-748, the country's first aircraft purchased specifically for presidential use.

Titled "Final Flight, New Beginning: Presidential Aircraft HS-748," the exhibition will run from Aug. 11, 2026, through July 31, 2027, at the museum in western Seoul. It chronicles the aircraft's service as a presidential plane from 1974 to 1985 and its subsequent decades-long role transporting government and military VIPs for the Republic of Korea Air Force.

South Korea acquired two HS-748 aircraft in 1974 and operated them as presidential aircraft for 11 years. After their presidential duties ended, the aircraft continued to serve as VIP transports on domestic and overseas missions.
 
An archival photo shows an HS-748 aircraft, one of the key exhibits featured in a special exhibition at the National Aviation Museum of Korea. Courtesy of the National Aviation Museum of Korea
The HS-748 was removed from active duty in early 2023 and officially retired from the Air Force in 2024. Following consultations with the military, the museum relocated one of the aircraft, tail number 1713, to its grounds in 2025, where it is now displayed outdoors.

The exhibition is organized into six sections covering the evolution of South Korea's presidential aircraft, preparations behind presidential flights, the HS-748's operational history, its engine, the people who worked aboard and maintained the aircraft, and its transition from a retired military plane into an aviation heritage asset.
 
A Rolls-Royce Dart engine that was installed and operated on an HS-748 aircraft is displayed at the National Aviation Museum of Korea. Courtesy of the National Aviation Museum of Korea
Among the items on display is a Rolls-Royce Dart engine that was actually installed on the HS-748, along with in-flight service tableware and uniforms worn by pilots, maintenance personnel and Air Force crew members.

Visitors can also watch footage highlighting notable missions during the aircraft's roughly 50 years of service, including its role during Pope John Paul II's visit to South Korea in 1984. 
 
A poster for the National Aviation Museum of Korea's special exhibition, "Final Flight, New Beginning: Presidential Aircraft HS-748." Courtesy of the National Aviation Museum of Korea
A photo zone reproducing HS-748 cabin seats at their actual size has also been installed to give visitors a sense of the interior of the former presidential aircraft. The actual aircraft displayed outside the museum is also incorporated into the exhibition experience.

The museum's HS-748 measures 20.42 meters long with a wingspan of 30.02 meters and has a cruising speed of 417 kilometers per hour. Powered by Rolls-Royce Dart engines, the aircraft can carry 26 people.

"This exhibition will go beyond simply looking back at the history of a retired aircraft and mark the first step in commemorating the HS-748 as it begins a new chapter as part of the National Aviation Museum's aviation cultural heritage," museum curator Choi Eun-jung said.

The exhibition will be held in the museum's third-floor special exhibition hall and is free of charge.


AJP Takeaways
△ The National Aviation Museum of Korea will open the “Final Flight, New Beginning: Presidential Aircraft HS-748” exhibition on Aug. 11, 2026.
△ The HS-748 served as South Korea’s presidential aircraft from 1974 to 1985 and remained in Air Force service until its retirement in 2024.
△ The exhibition features the actual aircraft, a Rolls-Royce Dart engine, in-flight tableware and other items linked to the HS-748’s service history.
Kim Hee-su

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