Congressman Andy Kim (41, New Jersey), who is running for the first Korean-American U.S. Senate seat, said on the 21st (local time) that it was a “surreal experience” to speak in support of Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention.
After finishing his speech that day, Rep. Kim met with some media outlets, including the Dong-A Ilbo, and said, “I felt an energy I had never experienced in my life,” and “I was happy to be able to share what I feel about America at this moment.”
Rep. Kim gave a speech on the subject of the “January 6 Capitol Hill Incident,” in which supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to stop the certification of President-elect Joe Biden. Rep. Kim became a “national star” when a photo of him silently collecting trash at the Capitol the day after the Capitol riot was published.
In an interview, Rep. Kim said about choosing the “January 6 Capitol Hill storming incident” as the topic of his speech, “What I wanted to say was that we cannot continue to maintain this country as it is,” and “I wanted to convey the message that we must solve the problem and unite.”
Rep. Kim said, “If Vice President Harris is elected president, she will be a strong commander in chief,” adding, “I will work with her to develop rational, strategic, inclusive, and attractive policies for Korea and Asia.”
![Andy Kim: “Convention speech surreal… Will work with Harris to develop policies for Korea” Andy Kim: “Convention speech surreal… Will work with Harris to develop policies for Korea”](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/08/22/126636455.1.jpg)
Congressman Kim, a Middle East security expert, is considered a representative example of the ‘American Dream’, having served in the US State Department and the White House National Security Council (NSC) and served three terms as a member of the House of Representatives. He has been preparing to run for the Senate since immediately after New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was indicted. He won the party primary, and if he wins the Senate election held in conjunction with the November presidential election, he will become the first Korean-American senator.
On the third day of the Democratic National Convention, Rep. Kim stood on stage as a supporting speaker. At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Georgia State Representative Sam Park was selected as a “rising star politician” and became the first Korean-American politician to stand on stage, but at the time, due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), he was limited to a recorded speech.
The convention is considered a stage for producing the next political star. Former President Barack Obama, who was unknown, rose to national prominence through his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and was elected president in 2008.
“The floor was covered in broken glass and trash because of the chaos that Donald Trump has unleashed. I thought, ‘How did it get this bad?’” Rep. Kim said in her speech. “So I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed a trash bag and started cleaning it up.” She continued, “I refuse to believe that our children are destined to grow up in a broken America,” she said. “There is a hunger for a new generation of leaders. Let’s choose Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”
Washington = Correspondent Moon Byeong-gi [email protected]
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2024-08-23 06:16:02