New Congressman Andy Kim says he will work for peace

New Congressman Andy Kim says he will work for peace. November. 10, 2018 07:29. by Yong Park parky@donga.com.
Second-generation Korean-American Andy Kim claimed victory in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. The 36-year-old elect told Thursday (local time) in an interview with Korean correspondents in Burlington, New Jersey, “North Korean issues and peace are top priorities in terms of diplomacy policy.”

After gaining a bachelor’s degree at the University of Chicago, he studied international relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar to obtain master's and doctorate degrees. Kim served as a National Security Council aide to the Obama administration, building on his diplomacy and security experiences.

Democrat Andy Kim’s victory was confirmed when only one percent of the votes was left to be counted, by a narrow gap of 2,600 votes, over Republican incumbent Tom MacArthur, who vied for a third-time victory. As of 1:00 a.m. Friday (local time), with all the votes counted, the gap widened to 3,800 votes.

Andy Kim, the first-ever Korean-American Democrat congressman, declared his determination that he would like to lead the House of Representatives in terms of diplomatic policy by utilizing his experience as a diplomacy and security policy expert. He expressed his aspiration to join the House Armed Services Committee, which has great impact on major national security issues regarding Korea and other Asian nations. He emphasized that he wanted to become a big voice and a strong voice.

The newly-elected congressman analyzed that the current dialogue front should be maintained to grab opportunities to resolve North Korean nuclear issues, calling for bipartisan response to the nuclear threat, which is posed by the North to every American.

Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s North Korea policy, he answered that it is encouraging to see that President Trump engages in dialogue with the North while discussing the issue with the South. However, he expressed concerns that some delay in nominating a new U.S. ambassador to South Korea gave a sign that Washington does not put legitimate priority on its ally. Andy Kim said that it is crucial to make sure that Seoul is a key partner and ally to Washington, and cooperate with Seoul in terms of security, economy and trade policy, adding that he is committed to taking care of the relationship between the U.S and South Korea.