[News Figures] 'Johnny Kim' Who Challenged 'Moon Landing' as an Astronaut

Korean-American Doctor Former Navy SEAL
Overcomes Domestic Violence and Becomes NASA Astronaut
Not Selected as Final Candidate

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced on the 3rd (local time) the selection of four astronauts who will undertake the second phase mission to orbit the Moon and return. This is part of the 'Artemis' project, a manned lunar exploration program conducted for the first time in about half a century since Apollo 17. Among the male candidates was Johnny Kim (38), a Korean-American doctor selected as a NASA astronaut in 2020, but he was not ultimately chosen.

Kim is a Korean-American immigrant who settled in California, USA. He completed high school in Santa Monica, northwest of Los Angeles, and majored in mathematics at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego).

After earning a doctorate from Harvard Medical School, he worked as a physician at a general hospital affiliated with Harvard University in Massachusetts and in Boston. He then enlisted in the Navy SEALs and completed special operations training. Recognized for successfully leading combat operations, he received the Combat V Silver and Bronze Medals, the third highest military awards given by the U.S. military. Notably, based on his military experience, he pursued medical school and became a doctor in 2016. He reportedly chose the path of a physician after feeling helpless witnessing comrades die during missions.

Among the second-place photos in the 2022 "4th Annual NASA Photographer of the Year" competition, a photo featuring Jonny Kim was also selected. Photo by NASA

Joining NASA in 2017, he completed about two years of training for the Artemis project and was selected as an astronaut. The competition ratio was 18,300 to 1.

Johnny Kim, the first Korean-American to complete NASA's astronaut candidate program, spoke about his identity struggles in a June 2021 interview with NBC7. He said, "My parents are Korean immigrants. As an Asian American, I lived between two worlds. I felt like I was living in a liminal space." He added, "I lacked confidence in high school. I had no dreams. It was the worst time of my life." Additionally, his father, who was abusive, died in February 2002, just before Kim enlisted, after being shot by police responding to a shooting incident while intoxicated.

Overcoming the stigma of being an immigrant and the horrific circumstances of domestic violence, Johnny Kim was selected as an astronaut. Although he was not included in the final selection for the Artemis project, his spirit of challenge at the time was praised for delivering a powerful message to the Asian American community, which had been suffering from a surge in hate crimes and stagnation.

Meanwhile, the upcoming Artemis second phase mission is the first manned flight carrying astronauts within the entire Artemis project. Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, said on the day, "The 'Artemis 2' crew will be the first humans to fly near the Moon in over 50 years," adding, "The team includes the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Canadian, and all four astronauts will demonstrate the best of humanity."