Johnny Kim shares space life, inspires young explorers

Johnny Kim, the first Korean-American astronaut, said Oct. 2 that on the space station, it is more efficient to send enough clothes from Earth for the entire mission than to do laundry.

Kim, 41, took part in a special interview with Korea’s National Space Agency officials, including Administrator Yoon Young-bin. The agency said Oct. 2 that the live session from the International Space Station (ISS) was the first real-time interview with a Korean astronaut.

A second-generation immigrant, Kim overcame a difficult childhood marked by his father’s domestic violence to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He earned a mathematics degree from the University of San Diego and graduated from Harvard Medical School through military education support programs. After completing Navy pilot training, he was selected as a NASA astronaut, earning a spot in a 1,600-to-1 competition.

Kim launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in April for an eight-month ISS mission, where he is conducting scientific investigations and other tasks scheduled through December.

He also sent a message of support for Korea’s fourth Nuri rocket launch, planned for Oct. 27. “As a Korean-American, it is inspiring to see Koreans exploring new frontiers,” Kim said.

To aspiring astronauts, Kim said the key is how they respond after failure. “I want them to move forward with hope and resilience,” he added. The interview is available on the National Space Agency’s official YouTube channel.


최지원 jwchoi@donga.com