More Korean lies. SIGH* It has been said before, but I will say it again. Do you think that "thousands of contenders" had a realistic shot?

The truth is that the Korean Space Tourism and Propaganda Authority had health, intelligence and other minimum requirements already in place. 98% of those "contenders" had no hope of going. All the people who are too dumb, too old, not fit, not pure blood, were excluded. She was really only in competition with a few hundred people.

The real test is to put her against American, Japanese, Chinese or Russians, and see how far she gets against real astronauts. The real astronauts don't crap their space suit on reentry.

Anybody who has been in a plane full of Koreans that has encountered turbulence can picture all the screaming that Yi did on reentry.

On a seperate note, I wonder when people will get sick of her false modisty "Who me? a hero, I am just regular Korean girl".

I thought it was a bit over the top when her gold digging mum fake fainted at blast off, but this tourist takes the cake.

I suggest that you get to know your audience better.

Most of the Mi-Guk who blog here are military, ex-military, or at a minimum have extrovert personalities. Also, several of us have been in combat or otherwise deployed for our nation.

So asking if anyone of us would accept a free ride into space is like asking "who wants a winning lottery ticket?"

Now, for those who have been bashing Korea for sending a “tourist” to space, wouldn’t it be a total disaster if Korean space program starts bearing fruits as a result of her “pick nick” in space?

She is a hero. She had to defeat thousands of contenders to be selected, and than risked her life flying in a vehicle loaded of tons of flammable combustible, than she had to spend 10 days confined in a can surrounded by a hostile environment where live is impossible, and finally had to face the risk of returning to earth knowing the fate of the American space bus (columbia?). I wonder how many of those insulting her have the same courage and determination to do something for his?her country?

Korea owes so much to her. She is an example of the value of Korean women.

"Challenged by a reporter, Perminov responded: "This isn't discrimination. I'm just saying that when a majority (of the crew) is female, sometimes certain kinds of unsanctioned behaviour or something else occurs, that's what I'm talking about." "

I wonder what she was up to?

hxxp://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2008/04/20/5337751-sun.html

You reference to airspace safety is not unfounded, and it has both physical and political aspects.

Korea faces a serious launch safety corridor issue. Though previous blogging touched on the notional issue of geo versus polar orbits, Korea is essentially bound to polar launches. Otherwise, they would have to launch to the northeast over Japan. Ya think this might cause issues?

Even a Korean polar launch would still require the rocket to travel over the Japanese Ryukyu Island chain, which the Japanese may choose to formally protest.

Also, don't buy into this notion of an expansive Korean commercial launch industry. Though "Hyundai" or "Samsung" may get stamped on the rocket, the cost inefficiency and mission profile of polar launches requires heavy government subsidization. Foreign launch customers will probably go elsewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRp3EHND-3Y

with translation in English