Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Political Upheaval in South Korea After Martial Law Chaos; Manhunt Underway for Gunman Who Killed United Healthcare CEO; Rebels Approach Key Syrian City of Hama; Saudis Focus on Rare Earth Minerals; International Stowaway Returns to U.S. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 04, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND U.S. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thanks for joining us here for the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill in
New York.
Protesters calling for South Korea's president to resign following that shock declaration of martial law, which led to hours of chaos and protests.
In the United States, the Supreme Court is set to begin hearing arguments this hour in a landmark case involving transgender rights for minors.
And a day of reckoning in France where lawmakers are set to vote on a no confidence motion against the prime minister.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: Pressure is mounting on South Korea's president just one day after his failed attempt to establish martial law. The message from protesters
coming through loud and clear. They want Yoon Suk-yeol to resign.
Massive crowds in Seoul holding candlelight vigils and a march to the presidential residence today. Mr. Yoon has seen some swift, high level
resignations over this crisis, including his defense minister and chief of staff.
The country's allies are following the crisis with concern. The U.S. secretary of state in Brussels today, saying the United States is watching
the situation very closely. Antony Blinken, though, expressing confidence in what he calls South Korea's democratic resilience.
CNN's Mike Valerio is in Seoul now with the very latest.
So obviously late in the evening at this point in Seoul.
But in terms of what happened today and also what comes next, we're waiting on a key vote here.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.
We're essentially waiting to see if the president is going to choose one or two of two options, either to resign or be impeached. So the weekend
deadline that you mentioned, Erica, is whether the legislature -- forgive me -- whether the legislature begins impeachment proceedings.
They have within 72 hours after an impeachment bill is presented to get this thing started. At this point, Erica, based on all of our reporting, it
does not seem as though the president of South Korea is going to resign.
But people are hopeful that at least we have passed the acute phase of this crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIO (voice-over): Soldiers clashing with citizens in a shocking scene outside of South Korea's parliament. As crowds chant dismiss the martial
law after the country's president declared nationwide military rule the first time since 1980 in an unusual late night TV address.
YOON SUK-YEOL, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA (through translator): I declare emergency martial law to defend the Republic of Korea from the danger of
North Korean Communist forces.
VALERIO (voice-over): All this in response to a number of actions by the opposition, including rejecting a budget bill and attempts to impeach
officials from Yoon's administration.
Yoon Suk-yeol said the moves were intended to, quote, "incite rebellion" and accused opposition lawmakers of trying to destabilize the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This decision is a crime.
Is this someone who we will let run this country?
No.
Will we let this slide?
No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It doesn't make sense. As far as I know, this is the first martial law declared since the Gwangju
Democratization movement. It is really happening in the 21st century.
VALERIO (voice-over): Broken windows and rifle-wielding soldiers standing at the national assembly building as tensions between the presidency and
opposition lawmakers spills into mass protests.
VALERIO: We're here in the crowd and there are two military vehicles that are trying to get out of here. We're just a few blocks away from the
national assembly. There were some soldiers that were saying their military vehicles are trying to leave the area and get back to their base.
Protesters, of course, voicing their huge outrage and dismay at this moment.
VALERIO (voice-over): The extraordinary measure, the president insists, was to do away with what he claims are groups sympathetic toward North
Korea.
Hours later, Yoon forced into reversing his decision after lawmakers voted to overturn his order, leaving a rattled South Korean public reeling from
the political chaos.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIO: So, Erica, over the next few hours, we're going to be waiting to see if South Korea's president Yoon Suk-yeol addresses the public. We've
only heard from him since martial law was rescinded for about a minute. He addressed the public, saying, all right, I'm pushing back on this martial
law order.
And did he apologize?
No. That is certainly what a whole multitude of people across this country want him to do.
[10:05:00]
And we're also getting indications that his administration or allies may be, Erica, putting the blame on the defense minister here.
The defense minister, as we're coming on the air just after midnight, sending out a text message to reporters, saying that he takes full
responsibility for the actions of soldiers when they were deployed to the heart of South Korea's democracy, the national assembly.
So will President Yoon resign?
He may not. The next day will be critical, so we'll be watching -- Erica.
HILL: Yes, it certainly will. Obviously, there is a focus as well around the region, specifically on North Korea, because the president, in that
initial order, cited threats from North Korea, not giving any specifics.
What have what have you seen or heard at this point in terms of any sort of response or acknowledgment from North Korea?
VALERIO: North Korea has said nothing and North Korea may say nothing.
There were -- there was a lot of concern in the early moments of this crisis that North Korea could perhaps take advantage of the situation,
could test a missile -- God forbid, have another nuclear test, could initiate some sort of provocation, which historically it has done before in
weak moments or moments of turmoil for South Korea.
But, Erica, here in Seoul, a lot of analysts who we're speaking to and hearing from, who are diagnosing this crisis, are saying that North Korea
may do nothing. North Korea may just stay on the sidelines here and use what has happened as propaganda for its own citizens, paraphrasing what
they would say.
Essentially that we are the less dramatic nation here on the Korean Peninsula -- which sounds crazy but that's where we are in 2024. They may
do nothing because, to have some sort of provocation could play into the South Korean president's hands.
He used North Korean influence and provocations as possible justifications for what he did yesterday. So North Korea may want to stay silent. Erica,
and just say, you know what?
We are the responsible ones here. We have a new security partnership with Russia. Our system of government is fine. But again, that is certainly --
it's certainly arresting to be talking about that after this black swan event that happened just over 24 hours ago -- Erica.
HILL: Absolutely. We'll be watching all developments, of course, closely over the coming hours. Mike. Really appreciate it. Thank you.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: We do want to get to this breaking news we've been following here at CNN. The CEO of UnitedHealthcare shot and killed in New York City.
According to a law enforcement official, Brian Thompson was leading one of the largest health insurance companies here in the United States.
He was walking toward the Hilton Hotel here in midtown Manhattan on Sixth Avenue, when a gunman opened fire. CNN law enforcement contributor Steve
Moore joining me now by phone, retired FBI supervisory special agent.
Steve, great to have you with us. So the details -- we have few details at this hour but we do have some, obviously, Steve. The fact that this
happened in broad daylight, there's some initial reporting that the -- that the alleged gunman may have been waiting outside, did flee the scene.
There's currently a manhunt underway.
What is the first order of business as you're approaching this, as you're looking at this investigation?
The fact that he was just walking there on the street understandably raises some concerns.
STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it raises a lot of concerns.
It's going to be -- your initial thing is going to be set up kind of a two pronged investigation. You can't -- I mean, you have to try to find the guy
while everything is still warm. You're going to send officers along his alleged-- on his observed escape route.
You're going to try to determine if he discarded clothing, a weapon, anything like that. You're going to look, talk to witnesses, try to find
out where he was last seen. And then you're going to have other people working on film in the area, midtown Manhattan.
You're going to be -- you're going to have so much film, you don't know what to do with it.
The secondary thing is you're going to talk to witnesses immediately in the area. And one thing you're going to, you know, that's confusing to me, that
I've heard, is that he was in -- the shooter was in the area for about 15 or 10 minutes. And he was wearing a black mask.
Well, what kind of mask was it?
I mean, if you're wearing an over the head hoodie for 10 minutes, somebody should wonder what's going on there and do something.
HILL: I will say, Steve, it's an interesting point. But to your point, some of our reporting also that that he was waiting out there, reportedly,
according to -- investigators tell CNN, he'd been waiting for some time before Thompson's arrival, opened fire from about 20 feet away.
To your point, if there was a mask, we are also learning that he allegedly got away, hopped onto a bicycle. I will say, being in New York City, you
will often see people with -- if it was some sort of a -- maybe a balaclava, as you're talking about, it's very cold right now in New York
City.
[10:10:00]
We often see delivery people in town who do wear masks, especially if they're on bikes, because it can be so cold going through the city.
To your point, I wonder if that does or does not spark sort of a moment for people who may see them, especially in the crush of a rush hour moment in
New York City?
MOORE: Well, yes.
I totally understand what you're saying, especially in midtown. It's cold, that kind of thing. And people in New York are used to seeing strange
things.
However, if he's right at the -- I believe it was the Hilton Hotel there, there's security there. There should be security there. And they are
trained not to allow somebody to loiter within 20 feet of maybe the front doors. I don't know where the actual shooting happened.
But somebody should have seen that and responded. But it could be that it was simply a medical mask, a COVID mask, which is so -- we're all used to
that now.
HILL: Yes.
MOORE: But so you've got the exigent part of the investigation. Secondarily you know that eventually this case is going to go to court. So
you're having your investigative personnel work on that part of it without destroying any evidence while you're working on it.
For instance, if the gunman used a semiautomatic weapon, you will have possibly casings on the ground. And the part of the investigation that
wants to find this guy are going to want to immediately fingerprint those rounds to see if a thumbprint might be on it from loading.
And you're also going to want to know what kind of gun you're looking for, in case they pull somebody aside and they've got something.
So at the same time, you're going to want not to disturb the crime scene for future prosecution. So there are several things going on. You know,
between the films, the exigent witnesses and the crime scene people, it's a lot going on.
HILL: It is to your point. I mean, this is New York City. You are not walking anywhere in the city without being caught on some form of camera.
So the fact that they will be having -- they will have access, obviously, to all of those cameras, in addition to the cameras, as you point out, at
the hotel.
Speaking to the security staff there, also, the fact that this appears to be a targeted shooting. There is going to be and there must be underway at
this moment important discussions and calls being put in to find out who may have had a reason to target this CEO.
MOORE: And with a company like UnitedHealthcare -- and I'm not singling UnitedHealthcare out -- but a health care company, you won't -- you won't
imagine the amount of people who have health care issues with a company like that, with any company.
Somebody was denied coverage. Somebody's loved one died while awaiting medicine or something like that. You have large legal departments that are
dealing with lawsuits that involve deaths of people or terrible illnesses of people.
These are the kind of things that can, that can really get to the core of people who feel like they need to take action. And they've got, I would
guess, hundreds if not thousands of lawsuits or disputes at any one given time. So sifting through that is going to be a mountain of stuff.
At the same time, you also have to look at people who were terminated or laid off. There are just so many potential issues here.
HILL: There are. And you bring up, I think, some really interesting points. Certainly if we're looking at this -- and from an international
perspective, the way health care is managed, of course, in the United States, is not the same as it is around the world.
Right?
And it can be a point of contention for a number of Americans. You bring up somebody who may have been denied coverage. Perhaps somebody is dealing
with medical debt. The fact that the CEO, who was just killed on the street, targeted, we are told by law enforcement, was walking down the
street on his way to attend.
This was -- he was in town for UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference.
That's also public knowledge, right?
So to that point, if you are in this investigation, going back through, were there threats that were put out to the company?
Were there threats specific to him, whether on social media?
Was there some sort of mention of this conference on social media?
All of that now comes into play as well, Steve.
MOORE: Yes. Oh, absolutely.
This is, when you're talking an investors' conference, you're talking hundreds or thousands of people depending on the company you're dealing
with -- ballrooms, things like that. I mean, you're going to have people, an event group, that knows where everybody is going to be at a given time.
[10:15:00]
There are so many people who actually have information, be it public or even people within the hotel who have specific information on location that
makes this just an extremely vulnerable situation.
And you don't have, as you pointed out, because it's so public, you don't have to be a foreign intelligence agency to know where this person is going
to be at a certain time.
HILL: Yes, it's so true, Steve. Always appreciate your insight and your expertise. Thank you.
And just to just to recap, if you're just joining us, we are following this breaking news out of New York City, where the 50 year old CEO of
UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, in what appears to be a targeted shooting, was shot and killed on the streets of New York City a short time
ago.
Making his way to the company's annual investor conference. That alleged gunman still at large as the manhunt for him -- and this continues in that
investigation, of course, just getting underway. We will bring you more developments as we have them.
I want to turn our attention now to France, where the potential political chaos is what we're waiting to see how this unfolds and develop. Lawmakers
set to vote on that no confidence motion against the prime minister.
They're examining the motion. It was sparked on Monday when Michel Barnier attempted to pass part of his government's budget, which includes billions
in tax hikes and spending cuts.
He tried to push it through using a controversial clause allowing him to bypass a parliamentary vote. That did not go over well, to put it mildly.
CNN's Jim Bittermann, following these developments for us from Paris.
He has not been in power very long, Jim, important to point out, only since September. And now here we are. Just remind us how we got to this point, if
you would.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's kind of a backfire for President Macron. Basically he was kind of too, too clever by half here
because, early in the summer, he decided he wanted to strengthen his hand with the parliament by calling snap elections.
And that really did surprise a lot of people in the parliament but not so much that it changed the votes. In fact, one of the things it did was gave
President Macron a worse hand in parliament.
And it gave him gave him a deadlocked parliament with about one third extreme right, one third extreme left and about one third of the members of
the parliament in the center.
So that has now led to the point where Michel Barnier, the prime minister, that Macron finally named in September, basically was trying to put
together one of his biggest obligations, which is a budget for next year.
He worked on that. He negotiated with the various parties involved but to absolutely no avail. In fact, he accused, in an interview last night he
accused the far right party of Marine Le Pen, of, in fact, political blackmail. Here's the way he said it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHEL BARNIER, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): She tried to get into a kind of one-upsmanship, telling me it's either the non
indexation of pensions or it's medicines.
I came to an agreement with the teams to assess medicines. And when I told her that, she said, well, pensions, too. I don't want to get into
blackmail. That's not my state of mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BITTERMANN: So in fact, what's happening right now is that the parliament is about ready to start debating the two no-confidence bills. One's from
the extreme right, one's from the extreme left. They're going to debate that for a few hours here.
And along about 7:00 local time, in fact, they're thinking that they will probably begin voting. At that stage of the game, it will be anybody's
guess how the voting turns out, except that, in the advanced talk with the various representatives in parliament, it seems almost inevitable that
Michel Barnier will lose his job.
Because he will need to have 288 votes to override the motion of censure, which is before the parliament -- either one of the motions. And at the
moment it does not appear he'll be anywhere close to that -- Erica.
HILL: All right, Jim Bittermann, appreciate it. Thank you. We'll be watching for that, as you said, just around 7:00 local time. So just under
three hours from now.
Still to come here, Syrian military and rebels battling for another key city just days after a lightning offensive caught the government by
surprise.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: We are continuing to follow the breaking news out of New York City at this hour, where police say the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was gunned down
outside a Manhattan hotel earlier this morning in what appears to be a targeted attack. Investigators, in fact, say the gunman may have been lying
in wait for Brian Thompson.
I want to get straight to my colleague, Brynn Gingras, who is covering this for us.
So Brynn, bring us up to speed.
What more do we know about why this may have happened, why the CEO was there and the fact that investigators are now saying this, they believe it
was in fact targeted?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
Erica, I'm headed actually to the scene right now, which is a major crime scene right now in the heart of Manhattan. And those are some of the
questions that police are still trying to answer, aside from the fact that they're still trying to locate this suspect.
But what we know from sources right now, at this stage in the investigation, of course, very preliminary, is that the CEO of
UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was headed to this midtown Manhattan hotel, the Hilton, for a conference for UnitedHealthcare.
And as he approached that hotel, there was someone, who, sources are telling us, was waiting for about 10 minutes, possibly outside. Sources
also telling us that person appears to be masked and fired several shots at Thompson from about 20 feet away or so but hitting Thompson and killing
him.
And what we've learned from sources is that this person then fled through a back alley by a theater, which, of course, this is in the heart of the
theater district in Manhattan, and got on a bicycle and took off.
And sources telling us it's possible this person then rode that bicycle into Central Park. So you can imagine, Erica, they are taking video,
canvasing this whole entire area, trying to piece together like a puzzle where this person fled to, in addition to who might be this person before
even trying to figure out a motive at this point.
Sources telling me it doesn't seem like they're very close at this point to finding that suspect just yet. But we hope to learn a lot more possibly at
a news conference that's scheduled for later this morning. It possibly may be even early this afternoon. We'll get some more details.
But really quick, as you just mentioned, Erica, this happened about 6:45 or so in the morning. This was believed to be as a -- with all these clues
that we're learning now, a targeted attack and happening in the midtown Manhattan.
This is just a few blocks away from the Rockefeller tree, which is expected to have a tree lighting tonight. And so you can imagine the security that
is already there in that area. But alone from the fact that this is a very busy part of Manhattan, where these gun shots were fired.
So certainly this is all extremely alarming, even from the fact that it appears to be a targeted attack. But still, a lot to learn here and we hope
to get more information when that news conference starts a little bit, in a couple of hours or so.
HILL: All right, Brynn, really appreciate it. I know you'll keep us updated as you learn more. As you said, you're making your way to the scene
now. So I'm going to let you get there, my friend. But much more to come. And, of course, we will continue to follow those developments.
Brynn, thank you.
In Syria, an intense push and pull now underway for the key city of Hama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILL (voice-over): Overnight, the arrival of pro-government reinforcements driving Syrian rebels back after they advanced to the edge of the city. Its
fall would mark another major win for the opposition forces in this lightning offensive that began just last week. The area that you see in
green there on your map.
[10:25:00]
That is currently under rebel control. It includes much of Aleppo, as you can see, and also Idlib provinces. You can see Hama just a further bit
south there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: I want to bring in CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman, who has covered Syria for years.
So, Ben, just put into context for us, if you would, why Hama is so strategically significant in this moment.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a city in central Syria that's very -- that's on this AM5 highway that links Aleppo
in the north to Damascus in the south.
And it is also part of that area that has been under regime control from the very beginning. But it was back in 2011 where we saw some very large
anti-regime demonstrations taking place in that city.
Now what we're seeing today is that the rebels, who had gotten to the northern gates of Hama, are now trying to advance from the northeast and
the northwest as well.
But we're seeing that the official Syrian Arab news agency is reporting that the government reinforcements, they're saying, are using artillery and
missiles to fire at the advancing forces of the rebels and that Russian and Syrian air force jets have been bombing those advancing rebels, they say,
according to the Syrian news agents.
And we often have to take these claims with a pinch of salt, that they've killed at least 300, what they describe as terrorists and shot down 20
drones belonging to the rebels in that area -- Erica.
HILL: Ben Wedeman, appreciate it. Thank you.
In the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court is now hearing arguments, diving head first into transgender rights for children. Those arguments now
underway. This is a case that would challenge Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care. But the outcome could impact other states with similar
bans.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: Welcome back. Thanks for joining us here on CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill in for Becky Anderson today, coming to you from New York.
We are continuing to follow this breaking news out of New York City, where a police manhunt is underway to find the shooter who gunned down the CEO of
UnitedHealthcare earlier this morning on the streets of midtown Manhattan.
Investigators telling CNN Brian Thompson was shot and killed earlier today outside a hotel on Sixth Avenue here. The gunman fled. It looks like this
was a targeted attack, according to a law enforcement official.
[10:30:00]
CNN senior law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey joining me now from Philadelphia; of course, former police commissioner there in Philadelphia.
Always good to see you. As we look at this, the fact that we're hearing from law enforcement that this alleged gunman was waiting outside the
hotel, that this was a targeted attack -- multiple shots fired -- and the fact that the CEO was presumably making his way to this annual investor
conference at the hotel.
What are you immediately looking for?
What would be your first questions in this moment?
CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I mean, the first priority for the NYPD right now is to find the individual responsible.
I know that everyone wants to know the motive. But that's less important at this point than finding the individual responsible.
Now supposedly, he was hanging around for a period of time, waiting. He may have actually walked into the hotel to see whether or not the decedent was
in there. So you've got witnesses, you've got video perhaps.
He fled the scene on a bicycle, according to what we know so far. So they're checking video cameras from businesses, from the NYPD system; buses
now have cameras. They're doing everything they can to try to track the path that this person took once he left the scene.
Eventually they'll get around to actually seeing, actually, how he got to the -- to the location to begin with. But right now it's a manhunt. It's
just trying to find the individual.
We don't know if this was -- if he was targeted for a personal reason, if it was something to do with the insurance company itself. We just don't
know. And it's way too early to start to really speculate on that.
HILL: So many questions in that respect. And, to your point, the fact that this alleged gunman is still at large, as you noted, we are told that he
hopped on a bike.
My colleague, Brynn Gingras, just reporting, sources were telling her they believe that then he made his way to Central Park, which, of course, is
only a few blocks away from where this hotel is.
There are cameras all over New York City, a number of businesses, as you noted, on buses as well.
When you get -- someone gets into the park, does that make it more difficult, though, given that they are no longer in this sea of businesses,
where the cameras are seemingly pointed out from every direction?
RAMSEY: Well, I mean, it makes it more difficult.
But you know what direction he was headed. Now he still may be in a vehicle. I mean, he may have taken a bike, from a vehicle to the scene and
then back again to a vehicle. We just don't know the answer to that yet.
But I don't know what the camera system looks like in Central Park. They have some cameras, certainly not as many as probably on a regular street.
But at least you got a direction of flight. And you know where he possibly might have emerged from the park.
And then they can start again there. They're going to do everything they possibly can to try to find this individual. And they're going to be
relying very heavily on technology to do that through camera systems.
HILL: They'll be relying on technology. Also, of course, on humans. In many ways, this is such a busy time in New York City. So where this hotel
is located, for folks who are not familiar with the city, this is just a stone's throw from Rockefeller Center.
It is right up the road from Radio City Music Hall, very close to the tree there at 30 Rock, where there is, of course, the tree lighting scheduled
for later tonight. I was in that area less than 24 hours ago. It is jam- packed at this time of year, with people -- 6:45 in the morning, it's going to be a little quieter.
But there is still going to be, I would imagine, an increased presence, given the heightened number of tourists and visitors because of the
holidays.
RAMSEY: Well, yes. I mean, you're going to have a lot of people that may have been out there.
Now they may not have been aware of what took place. But you know, the key now is to get information out and alert the public. If you are taking a
photograph at that point in time, for whatever reason, you're a visitor, you're taking video, contact the police.
They need to at least review it. Now they have a window of time. So when they're going through this tape, they know approximately what time they
need to really focus on because they know the time of the shooting and so forth.
So certainly you're going to be relying on witnesses, human witnesses, but also taking advantage of the camera system and anything else you could
possibly come up with.
Now were there threats made to him prior to that or toward the company?
I mean, all these things are part of an investigation to try to track down who it might be.
HILL: Yes --
RAMSEY: Responsible for this.
HILL: A lot of balls in the air right now, a lot of questions. But we know also how quickly the NYPD can work. Charles Ramsey, always appreciate your
insight, your expertise. Thank you.
Returning now to our top story, protesters once again making their presence known in the capital of South Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILL (voice-over): Hundreds have been marching to the office of president Yoon Suk-yeol, calling for him to resign. The embattled president is facing
now a possible impeachment vote.
[10:35:00]
All of this, of course, after he sparked a political crisis by declaring martial law on Tuesday, just over 24 hours ago, and then did a fairly quick
about-face, scrapping that order under pressure just a few hours later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Jeongmin Kim is the lead correspondent at NK News and editorial director at KOREA PRO, who joins me now from Seoul.
It's good to have you with us. I mean, this was sort of a bit of a whiplash moment. So you have this martial law declared. That obviously does not go
over well with both lawmakers, with folks on the streets, with citizens. Lawmakers telling citizens to come out.
And then we see this reversal.
The fact that we are now waiting to see, could there be a resignation?
Are we moving toward an impeachment?
How is this playing out some 24 hours later?
JEONGMIN KIM, LEAD CORRESPONDENT, NK NEWS; EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, KOREA PRO: Well, right now, we are in real time. We are monitoring what's happening at
the national assembly. The oppositional parties, six oppositional parties drafted an impeachment motion against Yoon.
And they are just about to report it to the plenary session. And from what I see right now, it looks like the People Power Party, Yoon's ruling party,
have just decided that their official party line will be opposing the impeachment.
Just earlier today, the leaders of the party met Yoon and apparently they discussed some sort of followup measures. And it looks like the party asked
Yoon to leave the party.
HILL: So they asked him. But no signs at this point that he is stepping down. There actually hasn't been much communication, as I understand it,
since he basically got rid of that declaration of martial law.
That was sort of it, just a brief comment and not much since.
KIM: It was a minute long speech when he was removing, withdrawing it after the 990 national assembly members unanimously passed a resolution,
asking Yoon to take it down.
It was a minute long speech without an apology. And then he went MIA for an entire day and then he came back to the presidential office later this
evening to meet with the party leaders and the prime minister.
But I'm not hearing anything about the resignation so far.
HILL: What are people on the streets saying?
KIM: People on the street, I was actually right there, right in front of the national assembly front gate. I was with the protesters. I was also
trying to get into the national assembly to cover the plenary meeting, which I couldn't.
But the people that I talked to on the streets, various responses. But many of them, part one, surprise, that this is happening in year 2024, 40 years
after the last one, during dictatorship. So surprise is one element.
And another part is also how they are quite impressed at each other for making the protest quite orderly.
No -- not much physical violence that I saw yesterday or even today, and how they -- the lawmakers were helping each other out, opposition or the
ruling party, to pass the resolution quickly last night so that Yoon will be pressured to take it down.
HILL: Jeongmin Kim, really good to have you with us this hour. Thank you.
KIM: Thank you.
HILL: Here in the United States, the future of another one of president- elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks seems to be in serious jeopardy today. According to sources, Trump's team is floating names to replace Pete
Hegseth as his choice for Defense Secretary.
Those names include Iowa senator Joni Ernst, a combat veteran, and also Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Hegseth is facing allegations of sexual
misconduct, alcohol abuse and inappropriate behavior in the workplace.
There has also been much talk about a leaked email from 2018 from his mother, in which she called him a man that "belittles, lies, cheats and
sleeps around and uses women for his own ego."
Well, earlier today, in an interview on FOX, she said she apologized for that email shortly after sending it. Here's more of what she had to say in
that interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PENELOPE HEGSETH, PETE'S MOTHER: But let me make two statements first and one is to president Trump. And I want to say thank you for your belief in
my son. We all believe in him. We really believe that he is not that man he was seven years ago.
I'm not that mother. I am here to tell the truth, to tell the truth to the American people and tell the truth to the senators on the Hill, especially
our female senators. I really hope that you will not listen to the media and that you will listen to Pete.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: So we will be watching for further developments in that story throughout the day. Stay with us for those developments as well.
Meantime, from clean energy to electric cars, we know that rare earth minerals are already playing a critical role in our future. Saudi Arabia
now says it has a plan to use untapped deposits of those to help both the Middle East and the larger world. Becky's conversation with the Saudi
minerals minister is next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:40:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: U.S. President Joe Biden on his way back to Washington after a visit to Africa. He spent his final hours in Angola highlighting the Lobito
Corridor. It's an unfinished 800-mile railway project financially backed by the U.S. and Europe.
Once complete, it should give a boost to business by cutting the time it takes to get products, including critical minerals, to ports for export.
This is part of the Biden administration's strategy of hoping to create a stronger U.S. presence in the region.
Saudi Arabia is also hoping to become a bigger player in the global supply chain for rare minerals. The country's mineral resources minister says he
envisions a mutually beneficial situation for Saudi Arabia, the region and the world.
He spoke with Becky Anderson on the sidelines of this week's U.N. land conference in Riyadh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BANDAR ALKHORAYEF, SAUDI INDUSTRY AND MINERAL RESOURCES MINISTER: We have phosphate, we have gold, copper, zinc, silver and bauxite.
But what is interesting in the new data is the rare earth minerals. So we estimate that, of this wealth, approximately 15 percent to 20 percent is
rare earth metals.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Which, of course, is massively important when we talk about electric vehicles going forward, about battery operation going
forward.
ALKHORAYEF: It is the kind of minerals that today you will find in every strategy of the large industrial countries, like the U.S. the U.K., Japan,
Korea and so on so on.
ANDERSON: Getting hold of these critical minerals, these rare earths, is massively important.
How does your mineral wealth fit in to the larger picture of energy transition?
ALKHORAYEF: This is a great question because, without the minerals, it will be impossible to achieve the energy transition.
Why?
Because basically everything in the transition needs minerals, some of which are widely used minerals. But a lot of also rare earth metals.
ANDERSON: There is a global arms race for critical minerals at this point, so important in the energy transition story and so important for industry
going forward.
What role does Saudi Arabia see itself playing, going forward?
ALKHORAYEF: First is really how can we make the resources available in Saudi competitively also accessible?
The second role, how can we be a regional player to help the region?
Because the region, unfortunately, which we call the super region, we call it as part of the future mineral forum from Africa to Middle East to
central Asia, represent almost 33 percent of the global reserves of minerals but yet only contribute to 6 percent.
[10:45:08]
So how can we help the region participate more?
And third is how can we create that collaborative ecosystem, where countries who are producers, countries who are consumers -- technology,
technology is key. And I have to say that, unfortunately, the technology was left out of the of the equation until recently.
ANDERSON: When we talk about Saudi as part of the global supply chain, what do we mean, what's the vision?
ALKHORAYEF: We are one of the largest petrochemical producers.
But if you look at the downstream, we didn't succeed in the past with changing this fact. So we are already changing this in this -- in the
petrochemical. We have huge programs that we have launched already in collaboration with ministry of energy to ensure that the downstream sector
is enabled as a result of this.
ANDERSON: This is the products from petroleum.
ALKHORAYEF: We took the same logic in mining and we said, we need to be very mindful from the beginning. And if you look at the mining investment
law today, it is incentivizing people to go downstream through the tax regime.
So you get a tax incentive that is almost goes to 90 percent discount the more you go downstream. And that's why we see, as I explained just now,
fertilizers being -- going as fertilizers. Aluminum bauxite is going as aluminum, going to high end products, automotive.
Today we are discussing with all of the aerospace players how can we introduce aluminum grade for aerospace in -- from Saudi. We are talking
with -- also with the space industry in titanium.
How can we position Saudi Arabia to play a critical role in some of the minerals?
So we know that our market doesn't allow us to do the full chain. But we try to study the supply chain, the value chain and see where Saudi Arabia
can play fairly, where we can benefit and make impact.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: Happening right now, a transgender care for minors taking center stage at the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices currently hearing arguments.
This is a challenge to a Tennessee law that would ban gender affirming care for children under the age of 18.
Lawyers from the Biden administration argue the law itself is unconstitutional. It's an unconstitutional form of sex discrimination.
Tennessee says state lawmakers were justified in denying gender affirming care, including hormone therapy and puberty blockers for minors.
Tennessee is one of 26 states in the U.S. that has passed laws restricting such care for trans youth. CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid
joining me now from outside the court.
This is a decision, which -- important to remind everybody, they're hearing arguments today. We won't have a decision today. But the decision
ultimately that comes down could have far reaching implications.
What is at stake here, Paula?
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Right now, the justices are hearing arguments in support of transgender minors who want to have
access to certain care after the state of Tennessee banned it last year.
Now what's at stake here is a constitutional question about whether minors should have access to certain medical treatments if they want to
transition. Now the state of Tennessee passed its ban last year.
But as you noted, over two dozen other states have passed similar bans. So right now, the justices are contemplating whether this kind of ban amounts
to sex discrimination under the Constitution.
The Biden administration argues that, because teens who, for example, are born male have access to some treatments, that teens who are born female,
who want to transition, cannot have access to. They argue that this ban amounts to unconstitutional sex discrimination.
But Erica, the state of Tennessee says that's not true because both boys and girls are banned from this kind of care if they are minors seeking to
transition. We don't know when the justices will release their decision.
But we do know that the incoming Trump administration does not support this kind of medical treatment. But teens at the center of this case tell us
that, even if they don't have federal support, they will continue to advocate for this.
And as we know, Erica, this is the biggest case of the term so far and an issue that has really reverberated across the country.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Paula, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Still ahead here on CNN, new details about how a Russian woman was able to sneak onto a flight from New York to Paris. That's just ahead.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HILL: We are continuing to follow the breaking news this hour here in New York, where police say the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was gunned down earlier
this morning outside of a Manhattan hotel in what appears to be a targeted attack.
Investigators tell CNN the alleged gunman was lying in wait for Brian Thompson, who you see here, and that that gunman shot him multiple times as
he made his way, was walking on the street, making his way to a company conference at the New York Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
We are expecting to hear from the NYPD in the next hour and we'll continue to update you on those developments.
Meantime, also following developments out of Iran, where one of the most prominent human rights activists has been freed from jail for three weeks.
This is to allow her to recover from a major surgery.
CNN has just obtained this photo of Narges Mohammadi at home. This after an Iranian prosecutor on Tuesday suspended her prison term to allow her to
recover from an operation to remove a suspected cancerous lesion on her leg.
The Nobel Laureate has spent much of the past two decades as an inmate at the notorious Evin prison, for -- which is, of course, known to house
critics of the Iranian regime, even as though she is allowed to briefly leave jail.
At the same time what is happening in Iran?
The parliament is now tightening the already harsh dress code imposed on women in Iran, one that has sparked -- previously sparked protests. Even
the president expressing some concern over that, so we'll continue to follow that.
U.S. officials meantime preparing a civil case against the Russian woman who stowed away on that Delta flight from JFK to Paris last week. She is
now in the air, making her way back to the U.S. in the company of six U.S. Marshals.
We do have video showing the moment she was confronted by flight crew members last week, a 57 year old woman who actually managed to board the
flight without a ticket. This all happening during the very busy U.S. thanksgiving holiday travel rush last week.
The TSA says she was able to blend in with groups of travelers and even the flight crew to board the plane without a boarding pass. CNN's Polo Sandoval
joining me now from New York's JFK airport.
So that is ultimately the destination for this woman and for that flight, of course.
What more do we know about her in terms of the investigation. why she may have wanted to be in France?
She certainly did not express a lot of interest in coming back to the U.S. is my understanding.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: To answer that last question, Erica, we do understand, according to a source, that she had several years
ago petitioned for asylum in France but she was denied.
So there was something or someone that was drawing her there. So that will certainly be an interesting question that is yet to be answered.
Now in terms of where we are at this point, it really is nearing the end of one chapter, which is to actually get her back to the United States. You
recall that she is a U.S. green card holder. So really, there's nowhere else to send her to.
And so she is currently in flight, about two hours into said flight. And it has continued disturbance free.
You recall that Delta Air Lines was fairly hesitant to allow her back onto one of their aircrafts, mainly because of a Saturday incident that you
shared this video with viewers, where even before the plane departed from Paris, she caused a disturbance.
She was escorted. Yesterday she was escorted back onto another Paris to JFK Delta flight when the airline said, we will not be transporting her today.
So the last 24 hours, you really can't expect that there have been some tremendous preparations on behalf of the airline security officials with
French -- the French government essentially now with two security personnel on the flight with her as we speak.
Now important to remember, she is not under arrest. She is simply being escorted.
[10:55:00]
We will eventually find out what she lands here later this afternoon in about seven hours or so whether or not criminal charges may be pursued. But
as you can imagine, there certainly won't be the flowers and the balloons to welcome her home.
The Welcome Wagon will be a federal team that is anxious to speak to her, to get a little bit more about how she was able to do this. But remember,
we already know, according to surveillance video and several law enforcement sources, that she bypassed not one but two layers of security
that allowed her to get on that flight eight days ago.
HILL: Yes and that -- so many questions about that.
And what are we hearing from Delta, Polo?
SANDOVAL: Erica, one more time?
HILL: Have we heard anything further from Delta at this point before I let you go, quickly?
SANDOVAL: Yes.
So we reached out for comment yesterday after they basically kicked her off the second flight. They said they were not commenting at this time. But it
was last week after this incident that they basically put out a fairly generic statement, saying that they are working with investigators and that
safety and security is a top priority for them.
HILL: All right. Polo Sandoval live for us. There at JFK waiting for that flight's arrival. Appreciate it, my friend. Thank you.
Thanks to all of you for joining me today for CONNECT THE WORLD. Be sure to stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" with Rahel Solomon is up next.
END
