[Hankyoreh, April 7 2008] Amateur radio operators prepare to contact S. Korean astronaut

Preparations for local student amateur radio operators to talk with South Korea's first astronaut while in space are complete, organizers for the event said Saturday.

The Korean Amateur Radio League (KARL) said 30 students at a high school in Pyeongtaek, about 60 km south of Seoul, rehearsed procedures to contact the International Space Station (ISS) while it orbits Earth.

Each student will be allowed to pose questions to Yi So-yeon, who is to become the first South Korean national to reach space next week.

"Students are curious about how Yi felt when she was blasting off into space on a rocket, and what it feels like to be in a near-weightless environment," said a KARL organizer.