한국항공우주연구원

Dr. Yi So-yeon returns the flag of the UN, a symbol of friendship between Korea and the UN

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) announced that a ceremony to return the UN flag, which Korea’s first astronaut Dr. Yi So-yeon had taken to the International Space Station (ISS), to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be held at Seoul Hyatt Hotel on July 3, 2008.

The flag of the United Nations that Dr. Yi will return to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had been obtained through the Korean Embassy in Austria on February 21, 2008 from the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, which had first proposed the performance in the ISS.

Dr. Yi carried the flag to the ISS (April 8-April 19) and held a performance to symbolize the friendship between Korea and the UN, and then brought it back to Earth. Dr. Yi took the occasion of the visit of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Korea to return the flag. She plans to present the picture that she took with cosmonauts of the Soyuz TMA-12 (Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko) to the Secretary General.

Ambassador Park In-kook of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, the first 2nd vice minister Park Jong-koo of MEST, and Ambassador Ivashentsov of Russia in Korea will participate in the flag returning ceremony which will strengthen cooperation between Korea and the UN boosted by Korea’s first astronaut.