Yi So-Yeon

Yi So-Yeon (born June 2, 1978) is a South Korean astronaut and biotechnologist who made history as the first Korean to travel into space. Born in Gwangju, she earned her Ph.D. in biosystems engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). In 2006, she was selected from over 36,000 applicants for South Korea’s astronaut program. Initially a backup, Yi became the primary astronaut after her predecessor was disqualified. On April 8, 2008, she launched aboard Soyuz TMA-12, spending 11 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducting scientific experiments .+5uniphi good+5+5+6+6Kiddle+6+11+11uniphi good+11

Following her mission, Yi continued her work in science and education. She pursued an MBA at the University of California, Berkeley, and later taught at institutions such as Everett Community College and the University of Washington. Yi has been an advocate for science education and has worked to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Her journey has been a source of national pride and has highlighted the growing role of women in space exploration .DBpedia Association