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For three months at the edge of the world, Kim’s days began in near silence except for the wind, boots crunching over snow and occasionally penguins waddling across her path.

Each morning the 30-year-old would walk to the small medical clinic at King Sejong Station, South Korea’s Antarctic research base on King George Island, 120 kilometers from the Antarctic mainland, according to The Korea Herald.

Passing Marian Cove, an icy bay filled with the birds, was part of her daily routine. “Marian Cove came into view before the station, and I would pass penguins on my way to work,” she recalled shortly before returning to Korea on March 5, marking the end of her three-month assignment.

The stillness of Antarctica was a stark contrast to her life in Seoul, where she worked in the emergency room and trauma center of a university hospital, with days were filled with ringing alarms, urgent footsteps, medical charts, and the constant demands of critical patients.

“Antarctica offers a kind of calm you don’t find elsewhere,” she said. “Worries about what comes next don’t feel as immediate here.”

King Sejong Station, operated by the Korea Polar Research Institute alongside Jang Bogo Station, supports scientific studies including climate change research.

Every year in November around 20 team members are sent to one of the world’s most remote regions for yearlong missions. Medical staff, typically two or three doctors recruited through the Gachon University Gil Medical Center, are dispatched to provide on-site care.

Kim’s deployment from December to March was historic as the first nurse to be sent to the Antarctic station.

Although she had always hoped to work overseas, she never imagined her first international post would be in such an extreme environment.

The process had moved quickly. “I had my interview in early December and left for Antarctica just five days after being selected. As it was such an unfamiliar place, I had little idea how to prepare,” she said.

A graduate of Gyeongbuk University’s College of Health in Daegu, she began her nursing career in 2019 in a Seoul emergency room and trauma center.

She later earned a U.S. nursing license and studied English, hoping it would open doors abroad. That preparation, she believed, helped her secure the Antarctic posting.

“Since researchers from many countries visit the station, the authorities were looking for someone who could speak English and respond quickly in emergencies. I think my experience as an ER nurse and my US nursing license helped.”

Antarctica’s beauty comes with formidable challenges – freezing temperatures, powerful winds and hazardous terrain. Even a short walk could become dangerous without warning.

King Sejon station from above. Photo by Korean Polar Research Institute

“The dormitory was only about a 10-minute walk from the station clinic, but I remember one morning when that short distance felt endless,” Kim said. “A blizzard was blowing, with strong winds buffeting me and snow swirling in every direction.”

Medical care there requires adaptability. With limited equipment and no quick access to repairs or replacements, prevention and maintenance were crucial. “In Antarctica, it is not easy to repair medical equipment when it breaks down, and so we had to check it regularly and make sure to ask for essential supplies from Korea,” Kim said.

Working alongside just one doctor, she took on multiple responsibilities like assisting with prescriptions, doing health checks, supporting with minor procedures, and administering treatment.

Her first patient had a growing boil, and she performed a small incision to drain it, monitored the wound daily and changed the dressing until it healed.

More serious conditions required evacuation. Patients needing surgery, such as for fractures, had to be airlifted by helicopter to Chile, the nearest country, which was some 1,000 kilometers away.

In such isolation, maintaining her own health was essential. “I worked with the mindset that if I got sick, I wouldn’t be able to care for others,” she said.

Despite the remoteness, Kim documented her Antarctic experience on social media, sharing snapshots of daily life – from breakfast routines to building igloos with colleagues. It helped her stay connected to loved ones and inspired fellow nurses interested in overseas opportunities.

Being the first Korean nurse to serve in Antarctica carried weight. She said: “There was some pressure in being the first nurse from Korea to take this path, something few others have done. I felt I had to do well so it could help others who might come after me.

“Caring for others in such extreme conditions was a truly valuable experience that helped me grow not only as a nurse, but also as a person.”