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How Trump Could Affect Israeli/Palestinian Conflict; France Rejects Sarkozy as President; U.K. Woman Arrest in Dubai after Reporting Rape; South Korean Corruption Scandal Intensifies. Obama Concerned about Global Trade; Trump Met with Christie, Giuliani on Sunday; 142 Killed in Train Derailment in India; Trump Businesses May Pose Conflicts of Interest. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired November 21, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:38] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Live from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United State and around the world. I'm George Howell. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
The current president of the United States, Barack Obama, is due back in the country within the hour, returning from his trip to Peru. It is his last trip abroad as president. But during his visit there, and in Germany and Greece, allies focused on what to expect from his successor, Donald Trump.
CNN's Athena Jones reports one major point, his concern over global trade.
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ATHENA JONES, CNN CORESPONDENT: President Obama, in his last press conference on the last leg of his last international trip as president, once again made the case for trade deals, deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, one his successor, President- elect Donald Trump, opposes. President Obama said deals like TPP, high-standard deals, are important and benefit the U.S. They allow America to have help write the rules of the road when it comes to trade. And he said that absent U.S. engagement in such deals, it allows other countries, countries like China, to step in and fill the void and write rules of the road that do not benefit American companies.
The president also spoke more broadly about the need for continued U.S. engagement on the world stage, calling the U.S.. an "indispensable nation" when it comes to dealing with global issues.
Of course, the president was asked about domestic politics. He was asked specifically about potential conflicts of interest that President-elect Donald Trump could face because of his business dealings. While President Obama declined to respond directly, he did talk about how he approached the issue when he was elected president. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We made a decision to
liquidate assets that might raise questions about how it would influence policy. I basically had our accountant put all of our money in treasury bills. The yields, by the way, have not been massive -
(LAUGHTER)
-- over the course of the last eight years. Just because it's simplified my life. I did not have to worry about the complexities of whether a decision that I made might even inadvertently benefit me.
JONES: The president also said it was important to him to follow not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law in order to avoid any potential ethics issues. It was one area out of many where he provided indirect advice to his successor as he wrapped up this, his last press conference, a wide-ranging press conference, on his last major international trip as president.
Back to you.
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HOWELL: Athena Jones, thank you.
During his time in Peru, President Obama also said that he's withholding judgment on the incoming president-elect for now, despite the many troubling things that Donald Trump has said during the campaign. Mr. Obama said, out of respect for the office, Donald Trump deserves the chance to pick his advisers and to put forward an agenda without, quote, "somebody popping off in every instance."
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OBAMA: The president-elect now has to put together a team and put forward specifics about how he intends to govern. And he hasn't had the full opportunity to do that yet. So, people should take a wait- and-see approach in how much his policy proposals, once in the White House, once he is sworn in, matches up with some of the rhetoric of his campaign.
My simple point is you can't assume that the language of campaigning matches up with the specifics of governing legislation, regulations and foreign policy.
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HOWELL: In the meantime, the president-elect has another likely cabinet pick to announce soon. A source close to the transition process says that billionaire investor, Wilbur Ross, is being seriously considered for the role of commerce secretary. Ross was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump during the campaign.
One person who visited Trump's resort on Sunday and is considered one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, is Trump's former agent, Ari Emanuel. But unlike others who visited, he's not looking for a role in the new Trump administration. A source familiar with the meeting said Emanuel had some concerns and wanted to discuss them privately with Donald Trump. The source did not say exactly what those concerns were. Emanuel is a prominent Democratic fundraiser, and he's the brother of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
CNN's Phil Mattingly has more now on the two other high-profile meetings that Donald Trump took on Sunday.
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[02:05:46] PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a weekend of marathon meetings, meeting after meeting, cabinet potential official after cabinet potential official. And some advisors in there as well. But it really was all about reading the tea leaves, trying to get a sense of who will fill out the top positions in the Trump administration.
The president-elect coming to the door, greeting every single one of his visitors. But on Sunday, there was a key focus on two individuals, Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani. Obviously, the former, one of the most important early endorsements of Donald Trump's campaign, but has fallen out of favor in recent weeks and has been removed as head of his transition team and his top allies has gone as well, leaving a lot of question as to whether or not Chris Christie will actually have a job in the Trump administration.
All signs right now are pointing to no, no so much for Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, also a very close confident, advisor, aide throughout the campaign. He's been angling for the secretary of state job. We asked the president-elect if that's what he's look at the mayor for. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)
DOANLD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY. A little bit of hedging, maybe some other positions that he may be looking at.
And this is all coming in the wake of Saturday's meeting with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, 2012 presidential nominee, who we were told very definitively is under consideration for that state job. But I'm told by Trump advisors that Donald Trump is very intrigued by the idea, the perception of what it would mean to have Mitt Romney in his administration, particularly in the wake of their 14, 15, 16-month battle back and forth. So, it'll be interesting to see how that all plays out.
One key thing to keep an eye on as this week goes on, starting today, there will be a focus on economic jobs. The economic transition landing team landing at all the agencies throughout the day. And domestic policy as well. We're keeping a close eye on who the next big cabinet appointments will be. Trump advisors, some are coy about that, but definitely making clear announcements will be made soon.
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HOWELL: Phil Mattingly there for us.
When Donald Trump takes office in January, he's supposed to have disengaged completely from an enormous and tangled network of business interests that span the globe. Trump's adult children will take over those responsibilities but there are lingering concerns that the Trump empire is so vast that Trump may not be able to avoid some financial conflicts of interest.
CNN asked the incoming White House chief of staff about that question.
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REINCE PRIEBUS, INCOMING WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Donald Trump has been very clear from the very beginning that his family is very important to him. And I think that, while it's unique, it's certainly compliant with the law. And obviously, we will comply with all of those laws and we'll have our White House counsel review all of these things and we'll have every "I" dotted and every "t" crossed. And I can assure the American people that there wouldn't be any wrongdoing or any sort of undue influence over any decision making.
The truth of the matter is -- and I can tell you this from the four days or five days or so that I've been in a different role -- Donald Trump makes the decisions in this operation. And while there are meetings that take place, it's Donald Trump that makes the decision. And nothing should be further from the truth. I can assure you and everyone out there that all of these things will be followed and they'll be done properly.
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HOWELL: Reince Priebus there speaking to our own Jake Tapper.
Now, this situation could get even murkier if Donald Trump decides to bring any of his children into his administration.
Brian Todd has more on that for us.
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TRUMP: Our government will be honest, ethical, and responsive.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Donald Trump is in the White House, he plans to hand off his business holdings to his children. But there are growing signs of potential conflicts of interest. Trump's daughter Ivanka joined him in his meeting with Japan's prime minister.
MATTHEW SANDERSON, POLITICAL LAW ATTORNEY: What it looks like is he may be forming less of a team of rivals and more of a team of relatives. And that's a problem. TODD: Like any business, Trump's empire is affected by policies set
by the government. With his children playing key roles in his transition team, choosing the country's top policymakers, critics say, it's problematic.
DREW HARWELL, THE WASHINGTON POST: It's incredible. There are conflicts at every turn. Trump said that there will a wall between his kids and public ambition, and there's no wall there now.
[02:10:11] TODD: The Trump transition team says it will make sure all rules and regulations are followed.
Trump's business organization says this is how it plans to handle the ethical dilemma --
MICHAEL COHEN, TRUMP ORGANIZATION ATTORNEY: It's going to be placed into a blind trust.
TODD: But experts say your own children are not who most lawyers call a blind trust.
SANDERSON: It's not credible to say's a blind trust. In an actual blind trust, he would divest himself of all of the interests he holds. He would sell off his properties that he owns, and he would put the proceeds into a trust that's run by an independent third party.
TODD: Trump himself has shown uncertainty.
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I don't know if it's a blind trust if Ivanka, Don, and Eric run it. But is that a blind trust? I don't know.
TODD: One of Trump's top supporters offers this assurance.
RUDY GIULIANI, (R), FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: There will have to be a wall between them with regard to government matters.
TODD: Also complicated, the case of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is playing a trusted role in the transition team. He runs a newspaper and a the billion-dollar real estate company.
Could Trump give a top post it to his son-in-law?
SANDERSON: It could be legally questionable and politically perilous for him to choose someone close to him and the number-one qualification being that they're related to Donald Trump.
TODD: Why doesn't Trump turn his entire business empire over to an outside third-party trustee?
MICHAEL D'ANTONIO, AUTHOR: Donald trusts no one more than he trusts Ivanka, Donald Jr, and Eric. The problem that Donald has is he doesn't trust many people.
TODD (voice-over): One glaring physical example of President-elect Trump's potential conflicts of interest is here, just a few blocks from the White House, the Trump International Hotel. Trump Hotels is the tenant. Once he becomes president, Trump is going to be the landlord because the property is rented from the federal government. Trump is going to be in a position to hire and fire the head of the General Services Administration, the GSA, which oversees the property. And Trump could conceivably, effectively, be in a position to negotiate the rent here with himself.
Neither the Trump Organization or the Trump transition team would comment on that. The GSA told CNN it will work to address potential conflicts of interest with the building.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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HOWELL: Brian Todd, thank you.
Now to a rash of shootings that took place against police officers in several cities across the United States. In San Antonio, Texas, an officer was fatally shot while making a traffic stop Sunday morning. Then in Florida, a similar situation, another officer injured the same night. Now to St. Louis, Missouri. An officer there was ambushed and shot twice in the head around the same time. And then a fourth officer in Gladstone, Missouri, near Kansas City was also shot Sunday evening. It is unclear whether there's any connection between these shootings at this time.
Hundreds of protesters in North Dakota are engaged in a standoff with police against the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. Officials say an estimated 400 people were trying to get on to a closed bridge and they've set multiple fires near the area. Protesters say the police are spraying the crowds with water cannons in sub-freezing temperatures, those opposing that project, I should say. They say the oil pipeline would contaminate drinking water and that it would destroy sacred tribal land in North Dakota.
Still ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, heavy air strikes hit eastern Aleppo. This has been a sixth day in a row of air strikes. We take a closer look at the devastating toll this is taking on the many people who are still there.
Plus, the former French president, Nicholas Sarkozy, will not be the country's next president. A stunning upset that knocked him out of the running, as CNN NEWSROOM continues. Stay with us.
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[02:17:53] HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.
In Syria, activists say that a barrel bomb laced with choline gas killed a family of six people in eastern Aleppo. That family found dead together.
And the death toll continues to rise. Six straight days of bombing. And now more than 300 people killed since Tuesday when the Syrian government launched its new wave of air strikes on rebel-held areas.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is following the situation live in Amman, Jordan.
Jomana, thank you for being with us.
This is the sixth day of bombing. Rescuers are calling this the worst they've seen since the civil war began over five years ago.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely devastating, George. As you know over the past week we've been speaking to resident residents, activists and rescue workers. They say this is the worst they've seen the situation in eastern Aleppo. Of course, we've seen violence on both sides of the front line there. Also, targeting the regime-held part of western Aleppo.
Now, before we show you our report about the situation in Aleppo, a warning to our audience here that some of the images that they will see in this report are disturbing.
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KARADSHEH (voice-over): His father in disbelief, in denial that his teenage son is gone.
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KARADSHEH: they try to wake him up. Refusing to hand him over to be placed in a body bag. He finally agrees but clings on to his boy's breathless body.
"I swear he's sleeping," he says.
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KARADSHEH: The anguish of one father, one family out of hundreds that their loved ones in what seems to be a never-ending cycle of grief, death and destruction in eastern Aleppo.
The Syrian regime unleashing a devastating new wave of aerial bombardment this past week.
(on camera): Syrian state media says this is preliminary operation that includes a ground push onto eastern Aleppo. They describe this as a part of a zero-hour operation, going after so-called terrorist groups across the country.
(EXPLOSION)
[02:20:09] KARADSHEH (voice-over): Backed by the military muscle of Russia, the Syrian regime seems to be on the offensive in other parts of the country as well.
In this conflict with no red lines, schools on both sides of the front line have been hit -
(CROSSTALK)
KARADSHEH: -- hospitals targeted, leaving a desperately needed health sector in eastern Aleppo teetering on the edge of complete collapse.
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KARADSHEH: The month's-long seize taking its toll on a quarter of a million residents. Aide groups are warning of mass starvation as everything they have is running out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no more water, no more foods. We are going to look at everything and every city and foods and water. We are maybe going to very big starvation in Aleppo.
KARADSHEH: Civilians trapped in this living nightmare -
(EXPLOSION)
KARADSHEH: -- terrified and desperate.
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KARADSHEH: And, George, the United Nations says it has a humanitarian plan for Aleppo, but having a plan is not the difficult part. It is trying to convince the different parties in this conflict to agree to this plan. We've heard the U.N. say that the rebels have agreed in principle to their plan. They're waiting for a green light from the Syrian regime and Russians. And we've seen these plans in the past fail. And it is the civilians trapped in this conflict, George, who continue to pay the ultimate price.
HOWELL: Let's talk a bit, Jomana, about the civilians. When given the opportunity to flee, many still staying. Many are concerned, seeing what's been happening, this plan to starve them out, to bomb them out, to gas them out, to hit hospitals and to hit schools, and many are concerned about leaving.
KARADSHEH: Well, that's the thing, George, it is so difficult to understand the reasons why people have not left when there were these times of humanitarian pauses in the past, when the regime has announced so-called humanitarian quarters that people can use to leave. It is difficult because we're not on the ground. We're not able to verify this. And what we get is from talking to some residents and speaking to some of the activists on the ground. And what we hear is you have some people who will tell you that Aleppo is their only home. They have nowhere else to go and they will not leave. On the other hand, you talk to other people who are absolutely terrified of taking that chance to leave because they're worried about fighting from both sides if they tried to leave. And they also have this serious mistrust of the regime. They do not believe that they will be allowed safe passage to leave. The United Nation is trying. They say they are pushing for some sort of humanitarian pause to allow, at least, George, the seriously wounded people to be evacuated from eastern Aleppo, considering the situation right now with the health sector in eastern Aleppo - George?
HOWELL: And the way you started your report, this father grieving over his son, heartbreaking is an understatement, for sure.
Jomana Karadsheh, live for us, following this story in Amman, Jordan. Thank you for your reporting.
We'll go now to India. The death toll has risen from a train derailment. Now 142 people killed in the incident. 14 cars of this 23-carriage train derailed early Sunday. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused it.
CNN'S Mallika Kapur is following the story live in Hong Kong this hour.
Mallika, it's good to have you.
First of all, where do things stand at present when it comes to identifying the dead and possibly finding any new survivors.
MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think authorities have given up any hope of finding any survivors, George. We've managed to check in with them a few hours ago, and until just two or three hours ago, they were hoping to find one more person alive. Early this morning, they said they have spotted a hand amidst the ruble, amidst the debris. They were waiting for a crane to help them reach this person. They managed to reach that person. And as they had feared, the person was not alive. So, they did manage to pull the body out.
And they tell us now that rescue operations have been completed, the area where the accident took place, that site had been cleared. And the numbers, as you just pointed out, are really grime. 142 people are confirmed dead in this awful train crash. Out of the 142 people who lost their lives, authorities tell us that 110 bodies have been identified. But this death toll could rise even further because we do know that 49 people have been injured seriously and they are being treated for their injuries in hospitals right now. So, the numbers do look grime.
The big question, of course, is what happened, what caused this train to crash and to lead to so many deaths. The junior minister, he said it looks like it may have been caused by a fracture on the tracks. A formal investigation has been ordered. It will take some time for the results to come in. But as of now, it looks like it could have been caused by a fracture on the tracks -- George?
[02:25:36] HOWELL: The investigation certainly still underway to determine precisely what caused this.
You know, when it comes to transportation infrastructure in India, it is a big concern. Highways, I think back a couple of months back, that overpass that collapsed, and now this situation that we're seeing with this train derailment. What more can you tell us about why these train accidents are so common in India?
KAPUR: I think there were two main reasons. One is sheer size of India's train network. The other is because it's so old. It is in desperate need of modernization. They spoke to a former earlier today, the Indian railways needs not just a change. It needs a generational change.
To give you a sense of how vast this train network is in India, if you took all the tracks of the system and you line them up together, it would go around the earth circumference one and a half times. Look at the burden. Look at the number of people it carries every single day. It carries 23 million people every single day, George. That is equal to the population of Australia. Can you imagine that? The entire population of Australia. That is the burden. And on top of that, you know, passenger tickets are subsidized. There's very little money, actually, coming in, which can be used. But the prime minister has said it is a priority. That is something he's going to tackle next.
HOWELL: A great deal of concern, obviously, to try to prevent incidents like the one we have seen here play out.
Mallika Kapur, following this story live in Hong Kong this hour. Mallika, thank you for the reporting.
Still ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, the Donald Trump transition team appears closer to naming another cabinet nomination. We'll tell you who it is and for exactly which job.
And when age is not a limit. Will you take a look? We take a look at a Chinese man who is launching a new career, you can say, rather late in live.
We're live from Atlanta this hour, broadcasting across the United States and around the world. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
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[02:31:00] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. It is good to have you with us. I'm George Howell, with the headlines we're following this hour.
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HOWELL: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has another likely cabinet pick to announce soon. A source close to the transition process says the billionaire investor, Wilbur Ross, is being seriously considered for commerce secretary. Ross supported Trump during the campaign.
Every U.S. president since 1948 has had to figure out the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
CNN's Becky Anderson explains soon it will be Donald Trump's turn, if he chooses to try.
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ANNOUNCEDR: If you always felt a deep yearning for Jerusalem --
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An enticing commercial for luxury homes from an Israeli developer. But they'll be built on what U.N. and many governments condemn as land stolen from Palestinians. Israel disputes this.
Bright, vivid adverts like this.
ANNOUNCER: It will include residential buildings -
ANDEDRSON: Part of the ongoing hostilities between the two sides that began decades ago.
Here, an attack on a Jewish community just before Israel was established in 1948.
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ANDEDRSON: All stretching to today.
A recent run of sometimes deadly stabbings by Palestinians against Israelis, the latest spasms of violence.
This, as Israel moves forward with new settlements in territory that Palestinians want for a future state.
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ANDERSON: It's all part of the seemingly endless pulling and pushing of cruelty from both sides.
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ANDERSON: And president-elect Trump hasn't put out a clear vision on bringing about peace. At one point, vowing to remain neutral in any negotiations. At another, using rhetoric that feeds hardline narratives in Israel.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will move the American embassy to the eternal capitol of the Jewish people of Jerusalem.
(CHEERING)
ANDERSON: Doing that wouldn't go over well with many in this part of the world.
DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT, U.S.-MIDDLE EAST PROJECT: The theory has been that this would cause some turmoil in the Arab world. It would undermine the prospects of peace.
ANDERSON: But it would almost certainly please Israel's right-wing leader who said he would be happy to see Trump take the White House.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRESIDENT: Congratulations on being elected president of the United States of America. You are a great friend of Israel.
TRUMP: I love Israel. And honor respect the Jewish faith and tradition.
ANDERSON: It's a mixture some have been hoping for and others fearing potential new challenges for Netanyahu.
LEVY: There will be a push to seize this moment that may not repeat itself, to annex territory, to do things that have not been done before.
ANDERSON: Whether it be president-elect's contradictions, he has promised to work for peace, saying, quote, "As a deal maker, I'd like to do the deal that can't be made and do it for humanity's sake."
But other American presidents have tried and failed.
[02:35:08] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That is two states living side by side in peace and security.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I strongly support a two-state solution.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The future of the peace process and the stability of the region are at stake. We cannot afford to fail.
ANDERSON: The peace process looks as endangered as ever.
LEVY: So this could be a clarifying moment to say that a peace process that is thoroughly moribund will no longer be something we can pretend to cling to.
ANDERSON: The world waits to see if there will be a renewed push for peace.
Becky Anderson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
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HOWELL: Becky, thank you.
A British woman is facing jail time in Dubai after telling police that she was gang raped. A U.K.-based legal advice group says that she has been charged with having extramarital sex.
CNN's Muhammad Lela joins us now from Abu Dhabi following this story.
Muhammad, what more are we hearing from the United Kingdom about this situation?
MUHAMMAD LELA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: George, it's a good question. It's very interesting because this has become a very sensitive case here in Dubai. We did reach out to the British consulate. They gave us a statement and they said, quote -- and notice how terse this statement is. They say they are "supporting a British woman in relation to the case and remain in contact with her family." And, quote, "We have raised the case with the UAE government and would like to see it progress as quickly as possible."
So, other than we know that the United Kingdom government is helping this woman, we don't have a lot more than that. We've spoken to government official that has told us this is a sensitive case and they won't say anything on the record. And neither will the police in Dubai.
It's a very, very sensitive time right now, specifically because Dubai's brand or its image in the rest of the world is that it's a very friendly place to Westerners and tourists. It's a place of amusement Parks and skyscrapers and beaches. So, a case like this is the last thing that Dubai wants to publicize to the rest of the world.
HOWELL: Muhammad Lela, live for us in Dubai. Thank you very much for being with us. We appreciate your reporting.
South Korea's corruption scandal is intensifying. The opposition party is collecting signatures for an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye, who is now a suspect in the investigation. Three people with ties to the president were officially indicted on Sunday.
CNN's Paula Hancocks has more now on the 's growing anger.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRSPONDENT (voice-over): Elected on an anticorruption ticket, Park Geun-hye's promise to clean up South Korea's politics has gone disastrously wrong. Hundreds of thousands are calling for her resignation in protests. Park has become yet another presidential face of what one of her predecessors called the Korean disease.
Park now considered a suspect by prosecutors is accused of conspiring with a confident, who was not part of government, but was part of a cult-like religion.
Choi Soon-sil was indicted Sunday on charges of fraud, abuse of power and coercion, accused of extorting millions of dollars from big conglomerates, like Samsung, for her foundation's or personal use. She's apologized and denied the charges against her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One problem with corruption in South Korea is that it does have its roots in the very same reasons why such an economic miracle. That is the cooperation, which is also collusion between the government and big business.
HANCOCKS: Not including Park, there have been six presidents since South Korea officially became a democracy in 1987. Every single one of them has been linked to corruption, either directly or through immediate family. Two spent time behind bars. One committed suicide in the middle of an investigation into corruption.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Politics and the business groups linked to corruption and also shaking the entire country from the fundamentals. So, we're very ashamed and we're very much worried about it.
HANCOCKS: Park's father, Park Chung-hee, ruled South Korea with an iron fist in the '60s and '70s. Some saw them as an economic savior. Others saw him as a dictator who trampled on human rights.
Residents who once supported the daughter now fear they have voted in a ghost of her father.
This protester tells, "This sort of thing happened with her father 14 years ago. But times have changed. The public will not put up with this anymore."
(on camera): President Park has apologized twice since this scandal broke. She's even effectively offered to give up some of her powers to parliament, but so far it is simply not enough. These protesters are not interested. The only speech they want to hear is a resignation speech.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:39:52] HOWELL: Paula, thank you.
France's Conservative Party has narrowed a crowded field to two candidates for president, but only one of them was supposed to make it this far. We'll have the details next.
Plus, Kanye West fans, they are pretty upset after the rapper abruptly ended his concert in California on Saturday. You'll one of his notorious on-stage rants.
Stay with us.
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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.
Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, is running for a re-election once again. She announced her decision to seek a fourth term on Sunday. Ms. Merkel has held the country's top office now for 11 years. She says the upcoming campaign will be the toughest campaign yet. Among the challenge that the chancellor faces are divisions caused by her open-door refugee policy.
The former President Nicolas Sarkozy's attempt at political come back in France has ended abruptly Sunday. Instead, his former prime minister, Francois Fillon -- and seen here on the right -- won the day by pulling off major upset with a late surge. He will face another former prime minister in a run off next Sunday for the Conservative Party's nomination.
Joining me now, our own Cyril Vanier joins us now to talk more about the situation in France.
Let's talk about the fact that Nicolas Sarkozy is out. This is a big deal.
CYRUIL VANIER, CNN ANCHOR: It's seismic shift in French politics for over a decade he was the sun around which orbited the other political leaders, at least the conservative leaders in France, and now he's out of the running. Anybody who listened today to his concession speech last night could see that he no longer has any fight in him. This is a fighter we're talking about, a political fighter.
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[02:45:07] VANIER: Absolutely. He was in the middle of this political come back. When he lost -- when he was president and he lost his re-election bid in 2012, it was apparent to all French people that he had more fight left. He wanted a come back. He dropped off the radar for two years but everybody knew he was preparing his come back. He was in the midst of it right now. This should have been his crowning achievement. It turns out, now we realize, he just misread the mood in France. He just misread French voters. They have had enough of him. And his political career is essentially over.
There's a caveat to that, that he's still the leader, the chairman of the French Conservative Party but we expect that at some point he might hand over the duties.
HOWELL: And it's a name that many people around the world know, the former president of France.
VANIER: Yeah.
HOWELL: Giving a concession speech. And now Francoise Fillon. So, explain how this was a bit of a surprise. The polls --
VANIER: Huge surprise, yeah. And really, it's the flip side of the coin, the first surprise that he's out and it benefits Francois Fillon, of all people, former prime minister, somebody who is really the ace to Mr. Sarkozy's flyer, somebody who is uncharismatic. People who know him in private say he is a focused and intelligence politician but he's not somebody who draws large crowds, you know. He's not somebody like his rival, who is sort of preordained to get to the top of French politics, not at all. He's had this insurgent campaign. He wasn't moving the needle for months during this primary campaign. and over the last three weeks, he has surged. Apparently, voters decided they didn't want this preordained fight between the former president and one of the most brilliant political minds of the Conservative Party. They wanted somebody else. They wanted another choice. And that happens to be Francois Fillon.
HOWELL: One of his economic policies, a bit contentious, correct?
VANIER: Well, he's -- he's cut from a fairly traditional conservative cloth in the sense that his social values are conservative and his economic policies are extremely conservative. Some have described them as close to what Margaret Thatcher would have done. He wants to cut half a million jobs mostly in the French public sector. He wants to cut drastically by 100 billion euros or more over the next five years public spending. And that is the most radical economic reform plan of all the people who are running in the field. So definitely, he has set himself apart from the other candidates in that respect.
HOWELL: Let's talk also about -- explain, first of all, because our viewers around the world may not know that name, what are his policies and is that a surprise, as well.
VANIER: Well, it's somebody who for about 20 years now, the French have thought he would one day get to the top of the French political field. A former conservative dubbed him as the best among us. He's considered to be a brilliant political mind. But something has always gotten in the way of his rise to the top. Years ago, he took the fall, a lot of people see it that way, in a corruption scandal for his boss, at the time. He was deemed unelectable for -- and he was judged and ruled by the courts for over a year. But French voters forgave him for that. They saw him as the fall guy. He came back in French politics. And every successive conservative leader has wanted him on the team. He's perceived as brilliant. He's been a cabinet member for years occupying various positions. He was the counterpoint in the campaign to Nicolas Sarkozy. Where Mr. Sarkozy has fire, again, he was the one with poise. He was the one with the, you know, more of a states-like figure. And so that was his political calling card. That, and aligning himself with the centrists, which he has said he will do. He' going to have that political gamble. He's 14 points behind.
HOWELL: CNN anchor, Cyril Vanier, known around the world here at CNN, our new edition to the team. We appreciate you coming in from France for our viewers in the United States.
Welcome. It's good to have you at CNN.
VANIER: Thank you very much.
[02:49:16] HOWELL: Still ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, when those people get to this particular age, they go into retire. But this man, well, he started an entirely new career. Next, defying all the norms in China.
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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.
For one man in China, age is just not a factor. So, he started working out later in life. He picked up riding horses and motorcycles as well in his 60s and 70s. He finally started a new career as a model at nearly age 80. You'll love this story. Take a look.
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[02:55:35] HOWELL: All credit to him. All credit to him. Way to go.
And so here you go. Fans of Kanye West, they were disappointed after he cut short one show and cancelled another. He performed two songs at the show in Sacramento on Saturday and spent most of his time on stage ranting about politics and the pop star, Beyonce.
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KANYE WEST, RAPPER: Beyonce, I was hurt that you said you wouldn't perform unless you won video of the year over of me. I'm in pain. In my opinion, don't try. Taylor Swift is great. We are all great people. We are all equal.
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HOWELL: Well, I guess he had a lot on his mind. The people paid for a show. Ticket Master says it will give a full refund for those who bought tickets for Saturday's show and did not get to hear what they wanted to hear.
That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell, at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
I'll be back after the break with more news from around the world. Stay with us.
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