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South Korea’s presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, wants to purchase an Air Force One aircraft to replace its leased VIP plane amid a political debate about the borrowed airliner’s feasibility.

The current presidential jet is a modified Boeing 747-400 airliner leased from Korean Air. The 200-seat plane, built in 2001, is equipped with advanced communication and defense systems, including radar-signal jammers and flares to deflect heat-seeking missiles, according to South Korean Air Force and arms procurement officials.

“The 10-year contract for the leased VIP jet is to be terminated two years from now, so the government should make a decision if it would renew the lease or buy a new one,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Given the schedule of a public tender, security of budget and plane manufacturing, the decision needs to be made in the first half of the year.”

The ruling Democratic Party wants to purchase a presidential airliner, citing the country’s growing international reputation.