[One Year Since US Capitol Riot] Korean-American Lawmaker Reassessed as Defender of Democracy

US Media Interview with Congressman Andy Kim Cleaning the Capitol
The Suit Worn During Cleaning to Be Displayed at the National Museum
"We Must Remember and Discuss January 6"

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The image of Korean-American Congressman Andy Kim (Democratic Party) kneeling and cleaning inside the U.S. Capitol, which was left in chaos by rioters, is resurfacing after one year. It is being praised as a symbol of hope for the fallen American democracy.

Andy Kim is cleaning up with the National Guard after the January 6th Capitol riot last year. (AP=Yonhap News)

NBC and Politico reported on the 6th (local time) an interview with Congressman Kim about his actions at the time.

Kim’s cleaning drew significant attention even then, and interest remains strong at the one-year anniversary of the incident. In a situation where conflicts in the U.S. persist, it is regarded as a symbolic image offering new hope.

In the interview with NBC, Kim explained that his immigrant experience was the background that led him to clean during the event. He said, "I recalled the love of country and service that my parents emphasized. For me, cleaning the Capitol was as important as confirming the presidential election results to protect democracy." NBC even described Kim as a "guardian of democracy."

Kim recalled that when he first met his eldest child after the riot, the child asked, "Dad, are you okay?" and hugged him. The child also understood that something bad had happened. Kim said he could not respond immediately. He added, "We still have the task of reflecting on and discussing January 6 in our history."

Andy Kim, U.S. Representative, holds up the suit he donated to the National Museum of American History (Captured from Andy Kim's Twitter)

To fulfill this task, Kim donated the suit he wore at the time to the National Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington. Kim’s suit, along with National Guard and Capitol Police badges and weapons used by the rioters, will be preserved as representative exhibits showing the impact of the Capitol riot on American democracy.

The Museum of American History regards Kim’s suit as one of the most important exhibits. Elizabeth MacMillan, director of the Museum of American History, explained, "We are doing our best to preserve related materials so that people can understand the event that revealed the vulnerability of American democracy."

Kim does not want January 6 to be remembered only by his cleaning. He vowed, "My job is to make sure something like this never happens again." He also emphasized, "We need to think about how to heal this country. We must not see each other as enemies."

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