When Rep. Andy Kim, a 38-year-old Korean-American congressman, saw smashed furniture, torn American flags, cigarette butts and other trash in the Capitol, he was shocked and heartbroken.
So he found a large garbage bag and knelt down to clean up the trash.
The image was captured by a photographer and the photo quickly went viral online, contrasting with the faces of pro-Trump America protesters as the Korean-American congressman with a somewhat receding hairline, black-framed glasses and a blue suit meticulously cleaning up trash went viral.
“It’s been a long and painful night for me.”
After the incident, American mainstream media, including NBC, AP and GQ magazine, sent Andy Kim an invitation for an interview.
In the interview, Andy King again recalled, “It was a long and painful night for me.”
Andy King cleaning up the scene.
On Jan. 6, local time, Andy King was preparing to head to the House of Representatives for the 1 p.m. vote as planned, when Trump supporters had gathered from all sides and danger was imminent. Just as he was on his way to the Capitol, the alarm was sounded.
Andy King returned to his office across the street from the Capitol.
“For six whole hours, I was worried about what was going on out there, I kept calling and texting my colleagues, but I didn’t hear back, everything was crazy and chaotic,” Andy King said.
Around 5 p.m., “one of the safest buildings in this country and the entire world got out of control,” and Andy King was told to stay away from the windows because of the danger of an explosion outside.
At 9 p.m., the riots subsided and Andy King returned to the House for the voting session. “I saw all the glass shattered on the doors that the president passes through every time he holds a State of the Union address, and when I got to the rotunda, the center of the Capitol, I couldn’t imagine that this was the center of our country, the center of democracy, but before my eyes there was trash, smashed furniture, torn flags , torn clothes and gloves, even cigarette butts and car keys, I almost cried out.”
It was late in the day before the police officers maintaining order had a little pizza. Andy King asked for a bag and began to get down on his knees to pick up trash from the ground. “I cleaned up for about an hour and a half, and a lot of police officers were helping me, too.”
A photographer snapped the photo and posted it online. And Andy King didn’t leave the Capitol until 3 a.m. the next morning.
“He was a true public servant.”
Andy King was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018.
What Andy King didn’t expect was the high level of discussion and attention his actions would generate in the United States.
On Twitter, photos of Andy King on his knees picking trash out of bags were being retweeted over and over. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also retweeted the photo and wrote, “Andy King represents the best of New Jersey and the entire country. He is a true public servant and we are proud of him.”
New Jersey Assemblyman Tom Malinowski, who is a fellow Democrat with Andy King, said, “His (Andy King’s) silent act of cleaning up the scene and bagging the trash was in no way an act for others to see.”
Another legislator who did not know Andy King well also said, “He is a Democratic legislator who has been re-elected, so there is no need to go out and promote himself with this incident.”
Early the morning of the second day after the incident, Andy King continued to walk around the perimeter of the Capitol, cleaning up the scene, which was still strewn with broken glass and other debris.
He recalled how many times he had passed a stone plaque with the name of President George Washington carved into it. Andy King said, “Moments like this remind me that this building, the Capitol, is great, that democracy is great, bigger than all of us, and demands respect from all of us. “
“As a son of immigrants, I have the privilege of serving in Congress, and this is the opportunity that democracy has given me to do something extraordinary. ” said Andy King.
Received a congratulatory message from South Korean President Moon Jae-in
Andy King was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1982 and later moved with his parents to New Jersey, near New York.
Andy King holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of Chicago, a Ph.D. in international relations from Oxford University in England and is a Rhodes Scholar. Allen) as an adviser.
In 2018, Andy Kim, a descendant of Korean immigrants, became the first member of Congress to represent New Jersey and was successfully re-elected late last year. Elected at the same time as him were three female Korean congressmen.
At the time, Korean media described the four Korean-American members of the U.S. House of Representatives who were elected as “the light of Korea”. South Korean President Moon Jae-in also sent a personal congratulatory message to the “pro-Korean” members of the U.S. Congress who were elected in the election.
The event will be held at the National Museum of Modern Art in Seoul.
After Andy Kim went viral online, some Koreans joined the retweeting party, and one user with the account name Kim Hyun-sook said, “Thank you! Congressman from South Korea, you are spreading the spirit of altruism. “
And Andy Kim’s personal Twitter page was introduced as, “Whether you vote for me or not, I’m still here for you. “
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