The first Korean astronaut will be announced Wednesday.

The Ministry of Science and Technology said that one of two finalists, Go San and Yi Soyeon, will be chosen as the first Korean astronaut when the national astronaut selection committee meets Wednesday morning.

Selection will be based on their performance throughout initial training in Russia and Korea. The two are said to be running neck-and-neck.

The selected astronaut will continue training until March 2008 before boarding the Russian Soyuz spacecraft the following month for a one-week mission at the International Space Station orbiting the earth.