A South Korean military officer has been chosen to take part in a research project by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), South Korea's Air Force said Monday. Lt. Col. Park Sei-kwon plans to leave for California Tuesday for the one-year space biology-related research program by the NASA's Ames Research Center located in Silicon Valley, it added.
"It is the first time for a South Korean solider to participate in NASA's research work, although a number of South Korean scientists have been actively involved in various studies by the organization," the Air Force said in a press release.
Park, 45, a professor of industrial engineering at the Air Force Academy, received a master's degree at Seoul-based Korea University and a doctorate in human factors at the University of Pennsylvania.
"I think the participation in the NASA research will serve as a good opportunity for not only myself but also the Air Force and South Korea," Park said. "I will try to contribute to the development of the country's aerospace technology by advanced know-how in that field."
