US Federal Representative Taking Oath of Office Wearing Hanbok (Comprehensive)

Record Four Korean-American Lawmakers Enter Congress
Expanding Diversity in the U.S. Congress
Speaker Pelosi Begins Fourth Term

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the opening day of the 117th U.S. Congress on the 3rd (local time), all eyes in the U.S. political world and media were drawn to a congresswoman dressed beautifully in hanbok.

Representative Strickland, dressed in hanbok, is taking the oath of office at the federal parliament on the 3rd and posing for a commemorative photo with fellow members. (C-SPAN capture)

The protagonist is Marilyn Strickland, a U.S. House Representative (Democrat, Washington State) whose mother is Korean. Strickland, a Korean-American mixed-race Black congresswoman with the Korean name 'Sunja,' wore a red jeogori and purple chima to the inauguration ceremony that day.

Strickland's hanbok was undoubtedly a hot topic. Howard Mortman, the head of public relations at C-SPAN, the U.S. congressional broadcaster, and Seungmin Kim, a Korean-American reporter for The Washington Post, shared images of Strickland wearing hanbok on Twitter.

Andy Kim (Democrat, New Jersey), who was re-elected, also could not hide his emotion. Kim responded to a USA Today reporter's tweet noting that Strickland was one of three Korean freshman representatives who wore hanbok to Congress, saying, "This is an amazing moment and a great advancement for the Korean community in the U.S." Dongseok Kim, president of the Korean American Voters Association, said, "It brings tears to my eyes and fills my heart with pride. How proud Korean second-generation individuals must feel about Strickland's clearly expressed identity wearing hanbok."

◆Historic Entry of Four Korean-American Members= This Congress saw the largest number of Korean-American House members ever entering together. Strickland and Kim belong to the Democratic Party, while Michelle Park Steel (freshman, California) and Young Kim (freshman, California) represent the Republican Party. These three women are also the first Korean-American female representatives. Compared to the past when there was never more than one Korean-American federal representative, this is a tremendous change. They are expected to be strong pillars for enhancing Korea-U.S. relations and advancing Korean-American rights.

This Congress also welcomed the highest number of women, minorities, and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other sexual minorities) representatives in history. According to NPR, the Republican Party saw 35 female House members elected to the 117th Congress, setting a record high. Madison Cawthorn, a 25-year-old Republican representative from North Carolina, broke the record for youngest representative previously held by Democratic 'star' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

NPR evaluated that "the record number of women, minorities, and LGBTQ representatives have made the 117th Congress the most diverse in history," marking significant progress in increasing congressional diversity.

◆Pelosi to Serve Two More Years as Speaker= The House Speaker position will again be held by a woman. On this day, the U.S. House re-elected Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. Pelosi narrowly defeated Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who received 209 votes, by securing 216 votes, and will lead the House for the next two years.

In her speech immediately after the election, Speaker Pelosi said, "We begin a new Congress in extraordinary times. Our most urgent priority is to defeat the coronavirus," adding, "And we will defeat it."

The Speaker of the House is the third-highest ranking official in the U.S. government power hierarchy. In the event of the President and Vice President being unable to serve, the Speaker assumes the presidency, making it a powerful position. According to The Washington Post, Pelosi will serve her fourth term as Speaker. Over the past two years, Pelosi has asserted her presence as a fierce opponent of President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, the senators and representatives elected in the November 3rd election last year officially began their terms at the congressional session convened at noon on this day. On the 6th, Congress is scheduled to hold a joint session of the Senate and House to certify the presidential election results confirming Joe Biden's victory.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.