The South Korean Ministry of Science and Technology is embarking on the selection of the country’s first astronauts with the intention of becoming the 35th nation in the world to send humans into space.
South Korea will select 2 astronauts from among tens of thousands of applicants by the end of this year.
A committee composed of various researchers from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) began reviewing candidates on April 21. Approximately 33,000 candidates have applied, including 26,600 male applicants and 6,400 female applicants.
The Ministry of Science and Technology and KARI are responsible for conducting health checks on the candidates to select 300 individuals. With such a large number of registrations, the selection ratio is 100 to 1.
The tests are being conducted in 5 regions: Daejeon, Gangneung, Jeju, Seoul, Busan, and Gwangju. Male candidates must run 3.5 kilometers in 23 minutes, while female candidates have a time limit of 28 minutes. Those who pass the health exam will then participate in a written test in English, scientific knowledge, and other fields on August 6.
After this round, the remaining candidates will undergo interviews on various topics. Candidates must not only be physically fit but also possess solid knowledge, be able to communicate in a foreign language, solve problems, and make accurate decisions. By the end of next month, 300 individuals will be selected from the first round.
The selected 300 will undergo 3 months of training from September to December to further narrow down to the top 10 candidates. Ultimately, KARI will choose 2 astronauts after a thorough health examination and neurological testing. These two astronauts will continue their training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.
One of the two astronauts will be selected to join the crew on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2008. This selection and training process is challenging but represents a great honor for those chosen: they will be the first astronauts from South Korea to journey into space.
TUONG VY
