Russia's Federal Space Agency will support a project to send South Korea's first astronaut into space using the manned spacecraft Soyuz.

Korea Aerospace Research Institute President Paik Hong-yul and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Perminov on Wednesday signed an agreement to that effect in Moscow.

The Science and Technology Ministry in Seoul by year's end will select two finalists for the astronaut from applicants aged 19 or older. The two will receive 15 months of training before one is selected to go on Soyuz in April 2008.