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President Lee Myung-bak hailed the launch of the spacecraft with the first South Korean astronaut on board as "the victory of all Koreans."
"Today is a very meaningful day in sending South Korea's first citizen into space. With the successful launch today, we will open a new era in space development," Lee told the cheering crowd.
The launch "will be used as a stepping-stone for the country's aim to become the world's seventh-biggest space powerhouse within ten years," said Lee, who took office in late February with a pledge to turn the country into the world's seventh-largest economy with "future-oriented" visions.
"The birth of South Korea's first astronaut is celebrated by the entire nation. It will give big hope to young people, in particular," Lee said.
On Monday, Lee made a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin to express appreciation for Russia's cooperation in sending the first South Korean astronaut into space aboard a Russian spacecraft, saying the South Korean people feel grateful, according to the presidential office.
Russia's space agency confirmed nine minutes after the launch of the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft from Baikonur cosmodrome that Yi So-yeon and two Russian cosmonauts reached their initial orbit of 240 kilometers above Earth. The successful entry into orbit makes South Korea the 36th country to send a person into orbit. Yi, a 29-year-old female bio systems engineer, has become the 49th woman to reach space and the second Asian woman to make a space flight.
"I am much proud of being a Korean. Now we have an astronaut," said Kim Jung-woo, a 24-year-old college student. "I hope this event will reinvigorate South Korea's challenging spirits and economy," he said. "I will pray for her safe return."
The astronaut will stay in space for up to ten days aboard the International Space Station, conducting various experiments, such as finding ways to reduce high noise levels inside space stations, observing atmospheric conditions and using the weightless environment to help determine natural aging processes, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. She is also expected to share specially prepared Korean traditional food and beverages with the crew on board the ISS and visit the U.S. module at the space station.
Yi, currently employed by the stat-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute, earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering at the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Last year, she received her Ph.D. in bioengineering.
She was originally chosen as a backup to Ko San, a computer scientist who was named as South Korea's main astronaut in September. But Ko was replaced by Yi in March after Russian officials accused him of violating training rules, an unprecedented incident that embarrassed South Korean officials.
South Korea plans to launch its homegrown rocket in December this year under the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-I project, with help from Russia. The KSLV-1 is a two-stage rocket with a liquid fuel main booster and a solid fuel kick motor rocket. Its total weight is 140 tons and its length is 33 meters.
The country aims to complete developing a KSLV-II 300-ton rocket at a cost of 3.6 trillion won (US$3.7 billion) within 10 years. South Korea is stepping up efforts toward a space project highlighted by the launch of a lunar orbiter by 2020 and sending of a probe to the moon by 2015, a bid to follow up rival China.
South Korea also plans to launch a large satellite weighing about 100 kilograms every three or four years, and at least two smaller satellites every year. It also is scheduled to open the Naro Space Center, the country's first, on the southern tip of the peninsula this year.
