Yi So-yeon

Yi So-yeon (Korean: 이소연, born June 2, 1978) is a South Korean astronaut and biotechnologist who became the first South Korean to fly into space. Yi was born and raised in Gwangju, South Korea and graduated from KAIST with a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 2006, she was selected as one of two finalists for the Korean Astronaut Program: a mission to send the first Koreans into space. A year later, it was announced that she was to be the backup candidate. However, on March 10, 2008, it was announced that she would be the primary one. On April 8, 2008, she was launched into space alongside two Russian cosmonauts. She spent around eleven days in space; on April 19, she returned to Earth. Afterwards, Yi worked as a researcher at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). She then attended the International Space University before resigning from KARI to pursue an MBA at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business. She then moved to Washington and began teaching at Everett Community College and the University of Washington.