Protesters swept through the Capitol, silently cleaned by staff... Andy Kim says "It was truly heartbreaking"

Andy Kim "Honored to Be at the National Assembly"

In the early morning of the 7th, Korean-American Congressman Andy Kim is quietly cleaning the floor inside the United States Capitol in Washington DC, where supporters of President Donald Trump swept through.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] In the early hours of the 7th, an Asian American man was quietly seen cleaning the floor inside the U.S. Capitol building after supporters of President Donald Trump swept through it, drawing attention.

This man was revealed to be Korean American Congressman Andy Kim, who was re-elected in New Jersey.

Overseas media such as News 12 New Jersey reported that after the joint session of the House and Senate, which had been interrupted by the rioters' intrusion, was reconvened, Congressman Andy Kim was found cleaning up trash while walking through the Capitol corridors.

Inside the hall on the day the pro-Trump crowd ransacked the Capitol building, water bottles, clothes, Trump flags, and American flags were scattered around.

At that moment, upon noticing a few Capitol security personnel cleaning, he obtained a trash bag and swept up whatever he could see.

In an interview, Congressman Kim said, "I was just emotionally affected. I felt a heightened sense of patriotism," adding, "My heart really ached, and I felt I had to do something. What else could I do?"

He continued, "When you see something you love broken, you want to fix it," and said, "I love the Capitol. I am honored to be there. This building is special, and especially the Rotunda inspires awe."

Fellow Congressman Tom Malinowski, who witnessed this, said, "I remember it was around 1 a.m., there were two security guards, and I saw someone else cleaning up debris ? it was Andy," adding, "He was quietly putting the debris into a trash bag. He wasn’t doing it to show the audience."

Photo by Andy Kim, U.S. Representative, Twitter capture.

Later that day, Congressman Kim posted on Twitter, "Tonight, I love this building more than ever. I just heard that the Capitol is finally safe," and wrote, "If you saw this photo or read the article today, please remember that the work of the Capitol press corps is as important to preserving democracy as Congress itself."

Meanwhile, Congressman Kim, a Middle East expert, is considered one of the 'Obama Kids' who served in the Obama administration. When he first entered the House two years ago, not only President-elect Joe Biden but also former President Obama supported his campaign.

As a second-generation Korean American immigrant, Congressman Kim spent his school years in New Jersey, graduated from the University of Chicago, and was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Oxford in the UK.

From 2013 to 2015, he served as an Iraq advisor at the Department of Defense and the White House National Security Council (NSC), and after entering Congress, he worked on the Armed Services Committee.

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