Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) has taken delivery of a new B737-8(BBJ), which it will lease to the Republic of Korea Air Force (Seoul Gimpo). Once in service, the aircraft will ferry around government VIPs and other officials. The BBJ will be entered onto the Korean register as HL8566 (msn 63448).

ADS-B flight tracking data indicates the aircraft ferried from Seattle Boeing Field to Toronto Pearson on January 10 before continuing on to Hamburg Helmut Schmidt the following day for a cabin fit out by Lufthansa Technik. It will replace a forty-year-old B737-300, 85101 (msn 23152), which is becoming uneconomical to operate due to recurring maintenance issues.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the Republic of Korea Air Force also operates the following civilian aircraft in addition to the outgoing B737-300: four A330-200(MRTT)s, one wet-leased B737-500, four B737-700(BBJ)s, one (stored) B747-400, and one B747-8. Korean Air also already operates Boeing Business Jets, namely one B737-700(BBJ) and one B787-8(BBJ).