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South Korean President Facing Backlash After Martial Law Chaos; Trump Team Mulling Options To Replace Hegseth; Capital Tbilisi Rocked By Pro-E.U. Protests; South Korean President Yoon Under Pressure to Resign After Declaring, Then Lifting, Martial Law; Pentagon Monitoring Possible Reaction From North Korea; Hegseth Nomination in Trouble; FBI Arrests Man Allegedly Trying to Send Weapons to North Korea; Hannah Kobayashi Declared Voluntary Missing Person. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired December 04, 2024 - 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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[02:00:24]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Juts ahead.
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CHURCH: Crowds gather in Seoul calling on South Korea's president to step down after he plunged the nation into chaos by declaring martial law, only to back down just hours later.
Syrian rebels are advancing on another key city as the Syrian army sends in reinforcements in anticipation of the assault.
And Donald Trump's defense secretary pick is at risk of imploding with new reporting that the U.S. President-elect's team is considering dumping Pete Hegseth for someone else.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, life appears to be returning to normal on the streets of Seoul, South Korea, one day after the president abruptly declared martial law.
Protesters are still gathered outside the National Assembly Building demanding Yoon Suk Yeol's resignation. His martial law decree lasted only a few hours. Now, labor unions are threatening to strike unless he leaves office, and six opposition parties have submitted an impeachment bill.
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PARK CHAN-DAE, DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF KOREA FLOOR LEADER (through translator): He should step down, resign immediately. This is the mandate of the people.
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CHURCH: Yoon's emergency order set off chaos in and around Parliament as protesters and lawmakers clash with security forces blocking the building. The president said he declared martial law to protect against anti-state forces and threats from North Korea. The Prime Minister, ruling party leaders and presidential advisers are reportedly holding an emergency meeting.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is following all the latest developments for us. She joins us now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Kristie. So, what is the situation in South Korea right now after the president dropped his martial law order?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Rosemary, South Korea is reeling after this martial law whiplash. We know that resignations have been rolling in from the President's senior staff, union workers as you just reported, they are protesting in downtown Seoul. And security has been tight around the parliamentary building calls, of course, growing for the President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign or to face impeachment.
Now here is what went down. Late on Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. local time. That was when the South Korean president declared martial law in that surprise address and he accused the main opposition party of anti- state activities of sympathizing with North Korea. And I want to show you this video. In this CCTV footage, you see the South Korean army storming the parliament during the President's martial law attempt, and the backlash to this was swift.
His move sparked demonstrations. It sparked and spurred thousands of people to turn out to protest outside the National Assembly lawmakers, they voted to block the martial law decree, and in the early hours of this day, you backtracked, he withdrew the order, along with the troops that he deployed to carry it out. Resignations have been submitted by the president's chief of staff and more than 100 senior secretaries.
Lawmakers are calling for more. In a statement to reporters out on Wednesday, the leader of the ruling party apologized to the public and called for the defense minister to be fired. Let's bring up the statement for you. This is what we heard from Han Dong-hoon saying this "The Minister of Defense who recommended this martial law should be immediately dismissed and others responsible must be held strictly accountable."
Meanwhile, the main opposition party is calling for yin to resign or face impeachment. In a statement from a senior Democratic Party M.P. we heard this. "Even if martial law is lifted, he cannot avoid treason charges. It was clearly revealed to the entire nation that President Yoon could no longer run the country normally. He should step down.
Now, workers from the largest union in South Korea, they are protesting downtown Seoul. They say they will continue to do so until President Yoon steps down. This is South Korea's biggest political crisis in decades. It's a move that stunned allies and stunned observers all around the world and the fate of the South Korean president is unclear. Back to you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. Kristie Lu Stout joining us there, live from Hong Kong with that report.
And joining me now from Seoul, Kenneth Choi is the international editor for the Chosun Daily Newspaper. Appreciate you being with us.
KENNETH CHOI, INTERNATIONAL EDITOR, CHOSUN DAILY NEWSPAPER: Thank you for having me here.
[02:05:09]
CHURCH: So, Yoon Suk Yeol is under intense pressure now to resign. How much longer do you think he can hang on before being pushed out and what will likely happen to him next, given the opposition parties have submitted a bill calling for his impeachment?
CHOI: Looks like the bill probably could be passed by and at the end of this weekend. It's a very unfortunate thing. And hopefully, you know, this sort of thing doesn't happen again in Korea, since, you know, 2017 but here we go again. It's very tragic moment right now. I don't know why the President made such a decision. You know, most - I mean, 99 percent of population couldn't agree with this martial law decree.
And now he's, you know, facing this backlash. Obviously, this repercussion will go on for foreseeable time, because, you know, if the President is impeached, then you know, it will go into the Constitutional Court. But you know, right now we don't have enough members in the Constitution Court, so the parliament has to appoint judges. So that will take some time. And then the Constitutional Court will, you know, make a decision whether, you know, the President should be impeached or not.
That will take maximum three months. Then after that, you know, we have to have another election. So, the campaign period will take place. And next year, you know, if the President is impeached this month, then we'll have another presidential election next year. So politically, yes, it is a huge crisis. Our economy is not doing well. And, you know, the politicians should be gathering together to get the -- get the economy, you know, up and running again but, you know, because of this political turmoil, everything's going down the tube.
And a lot of people are worried. This is the 12th largest economy in the world. You know, Korea enjoyed a full-fledged democracy since 1988. Korea is the producing country of, you know, Rose' APT, apartment or the Squid Game is coming up at the end of this month. So, Korea has grown into a big software -- soft power country and now, you know, we have the shame on us. So, to tell the truth, we are, you know, going into this deep fog and cannot figure out, you know, what's going to happen next? You know, next week.
CHURCH: So, why do you think President Yoon took this extreme action of declaring martial law and what do you think he was actually trying to achieve here?
CHOI: Actually, you know, he was frustrated. So, we understand that his frustration, the opposition party has impeached like 18 members of cabinet. The opposition party which controls almost two-thirds of the parliament, they cut down all the necessary budgets, you know, and he probably thought that the opposition party is basically trying to kneel down in the current -- his government.
But, you know, decreeing a martial law is a completely different thing. So, you know, the population has to support it, but I don't think there was any support by the populace, not even in the military, not even in the police. So, I don't know what he was thinking. You know, there's basically nothing for him to gain. And it's a big, big mystery. A lot of people are puzzled. And actually, the moment before he was about to decree the martial law, the prime minister, the cabinet ministers who were summoned to ratify this decree, they all opposed.
They tried to persuade him not to do it, but he didn't listen. And he -- what I heard recently that he's still angry at this, you know, opposition party. But, you know politics is politics. You know you're supposed to resolve all these differences through dialogs. But -- so I don't know, to tell the truth. I don't know what really got into this.
CHURCH: And it seems to have been quite an overreach, doesn't it? So, President Yoon's martial law decree lasted only about six hours. But how much damage was done to the nation in those few hours do you think?
CHOI: Well, actually, you know, the soft part -- soft power that I mentioned, you know, has dramatically gone down. All the business people, I mean, global business community, you know, like Think Twice investing in Korea. So, they will have a very drastic effect in the Korean economy. You know, the Korean export market will probably squinch a little bit because, you know, the people who are importing from Korea will think twice again.
So, you know, there will be -- there will -- there'll be a lot of these ramifications down the economic ladder. And I'm just afraid that this six hours of this mishap is causing like, you know, maybe trillions of dollars of damage to the Korean economy. And I'm really sorry for that.
CHURCH: Yes. And you did touch on this but what happens now to the country and who will likely lead the nation once President Yoon steps down, if indeed he does in the coming hours?
[02:10:12]
CHOI: Well, the ruling party or the opposition party, they have to come to agree that if the president is impeached, then they will have to set up a next presidential election. And no, right now, it looks like the opposition party has the upper hand, but my -- I suspect that the Korean public will choose wisely whoever will be the next president, if it ever, you know, the election is to be held next year. And lo and behold, if this president survives this political repercussion. I, you know, then, I don't know how he can govern but, you know, he will probably nominate new cabinet ministers and new prime ministers or whatever and try to form a different government and see, you know, if he can last. If he doesn't, we have to hold a different election next year. And, you know, hopefully the politicians opposition or, you know, ruling party, they come to census and, you know, run the transfer of power in a smooth and, you know, very peaceful manner as we have done so over the past 36 years.
So, that's what people hope for and hopefully we don't go into a worse situation than what, you know, we experienced in the past. You know, 12 hours or so.
CHURCH: Kenneth Choi in, so many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.
CHOI: Thank you very much for having me.
CHURCH: Israel is warning Lebanon of dire consequences if the ceasefire with Hezbollah falls apart. Israel's defense minister visited troops near the border on Tuesday. A day after Israel and Hezbollah both carried out attacks despite the ceasefire. Here's what he told them.
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ISRAEL KATZ, ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): If we go back to war, we will penetrate deeper. And the most important thing they should know is that there will be no immunity for the state of Lebanon. Until now, we made a distinction between Lebanon and Hezbollah. It will no longer be the case.
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CHURCH: The U.S. says it believes the truce "continues to be largely holding in place, despite tit for tat strikes between the two sides." But an Israeli Minister says both the American and French governments have privately told Israel that they believe it is violating the agreement.
Well, the U.N. warns that a collapse of the ceasefire in Lebanon would be catastrophic for the thousands of people returning to their homes. The truce, after months of fighting, was meant to allow residents in both Lebanon and Israel to start heading home. The U.N. is also warning that the global refugee crisis will likely grow worse next year, as conflicts and disasters will likely force a record number of people to flee their homes.
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FILIPPO GRANDI, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: The ceasefire in Lebanon a few days ago triggered, almost immediately, a rather large return of Lebanese displaced people and even of Lebanese refugees that had crossed the border into Syria. But the events of the last few hours cast doubt about the sustainability of those returns and of that situation. A complete reversal of the ceasefire decision would be really catastrophic, because, of course, at the moment, the situation in Syria is also worrying.
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CHURCH: Meantime, rebel forces are still on the move in Syria, seizing more areas despite strikes by Russia and the Syrian army.
Opposition fighters are now on the doorstep of Hama in central Syria, the latest location in their lightning offensive that began in the north last week. The areas in green show the territory already taken by the rebels, which includes much of Aleppo and Idlib provinces. And you can see Hama is just a little further south.
And CNN's Ben Wedeman explains why the city is strategically significant to both sides.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTENATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Forces loyal to the Syrian Government remain on the defensive with attention now focused on the central Syrian city of Hama. The rebels have taken up positions north of Hama, a city where 1982, the army and intelligence services of then President Hafez al-Assad, the father of today's Bashar al-Assad killed more than 10,000 people during an uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Hama was also the scene of huge anti-Assad regime protests at the start of the revolt against Bashar in 2011.
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Syria's official news agency reported Tuesday evening that government reinforces -- reinforcements had been deployed in the city in anticipation of a rebel assault. Now, the rebel offensive is spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra considered by the U.S. to be a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, the rebels are consolidating their grip over most of Aleppo, Syria's second biggest city, regime forces largely abandoned the city without much of a fight.
The area under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has more than doubled in less than a week, while the United Nations reports almost 50,000 people have been displaced as a result of the renewed fighting. The Syrian Defense Ministry has vowed to launch a counter offensive, but apart from strikes by the Syrian and Russian air forces, that counter offensive has yet to materialize.
I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN reporting from Rome.
CHURCH: Protests in Georgia show no signs of slowing down as thousands marched through the streets accusing the ruling party of turning away from the west and cozying up to Russia.
And later, Pete Hegseth's nomination to be Donald Trump's defense secretary is in jeopardy following a series of misconduct allegations. A look at the names floated as possible alternatives for the post. Back with that and more in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: Demonstrations in Georgia show no sign of slowing down as police in the Georgian capital Tbilisi clash with pro-European Union protesters. The former Soviet republic has been rocked by demonstrations after the ruling Georgian dream Party announced it would delay E.U. membership talks until 2028. Most Georgians support joining the E.U. and critics are accusing the government of following authoritarian and pro-Russia policies.
Here's what one protester is saying.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): No structure serves the people, nor does the government serve the people. The only thing and person our government serves is Russia and Bidzina Ivanishvili. But we will do everything to achieve our goal, to structure new elections and establish justice in our country.
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CHURCH: More now from CNN's Matthew Chance.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another night of mayhem head on the streets of Tbilisi, the capital of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, is now torn between Russia and the West. Protesters here furious their government seen as increasingly close to the Kremlin, is delaying further talks to join the European Union.
[02:20:05]
NIA TKHELIDZE, PROTESTER: We should be the members of European family and unfortunately, our government tries the best not to let us and not to allow us.
GIORGI BAGRATION DAVITASHVILL, PROTESTER: I think Georgia government thinks that Georgia is Russia and will act as Russian peoples do, and no one will come out in the street if others are beaten, if others are disheartened, but they are wrong in this. You know, this is Georgia and Georgian people are not like that.
CHANCE (voice-over): For years now, the conservative ruling party, the Georgian Dream has denied any formal links with the Kremlin, but by passing repressive laws like limiting civil society and gay rights, similar to those in Russia, it's thrown into question the country's future with the West.
Over in Ukraine, a daily sobering reminder for Georgians of the price of defying Moscow. Georgia suffered a brief war of its own with Russia in 2008. But avoiding this devastation of their Ukrainian neighbors, the conflict that began with a popular uprising known as the Maidan is what the Georgian ruling party says now justifies its crackdown.
IRAKLI KOBAKHIDZE, PRIME MINISTER OF GEORGIA: So, the attempt to organize the Maidan in Georgia is already over. I would call everybody to keep quiet, let's say, and to keep peace in this campaign. So, we are responsible for that. I can assure everybody that there will be peace in this country.
CHANCE (voice-over): But that's not how it looks on the streets of the Georgian capital with police and pro-Western protesters outside the embattled parliament, what looks like a pivotal standoff.
Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
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CHURCH: NATO's foreign ministers are arriving for the second day of their meeting in Brussels, high on their agenda, dealing with Russia and its war on Ukraine as Russian forces escalate their attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, leaving many with our power as the winter months approach. Ahead of the meeting, NATO Chief Mark Rutte touted support for Kyiv, arguing Moscow is not interested in peace.
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MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Ukraine is entering another crucial winter, and Russia's aggression shows no sign of abating. Just the opposite. Putin is ramping up his rhetoric and reckless actions. He is using Ukraine as a testing ground for experimental missiles and is deploying North Korean soldiers in this illegal war.
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CHURCH: The meeting will likely end today without an invitation to Kyiv for membership. Some diplomats and analysts have floated the idea of promises, of security guarantees from individual countries instead of NATO membership. But Ukraine's foreign minister is insisting on nothing less than full membership, citing the 30-year-old Budapest Memorandum. Under that agreement, Ukraine gave up nuclear arms in return for security guarantees. The minister said those guarantees failed and that repeating such mistakes should be avoided.
Our colleague, Christiane Amanpour sat down with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel for a wide-ranging interview, which included her thoughts on the war in Ukraine. She also talked about her new memoir Freedom, which reflects on her 16 years as the first woman to lead Europe's largest economy as well as her relationships with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Do you think, as people have said, that, had you accepted in 2007 or '06? I can't remember when, but there was that specific NATO Summit. Ukraine and Georgia into NATO, this war would not have happened?
ANGELA MERKEL, FORMER GERMAN CHANCELLOR: No, no. That's exactly what I not don't think. I also described this and it was 2008 in Bucharest. Actually, this was not about NATO membership, but it was the sort of precursor to that, a Membership Action Plan. And we knew from the accession of the Baltic countries, and from the exception of other countries that this usually takes three to five years.
And during those years, they're not protected by the NATO umbrella. I was firmly convinced that Putin would not sort of allow this to happen without taking action. So, I thought it was wrong to actually put this on the agenda at the time. Particularly since the Ukrainian people was split right down the middle. Since the Russian fleet was actually located in the black scene, and there were -- there was a negotiation we had and a contract we had in Russia.
So, it was not the right point in time. I was actually not the only one who thought that this was wrong and that the point in time was wrong. The central and eastern Europeans wanted to be protected and therefore supported Ukraine but we at the time that would have led Ukraine into a vulnerable exposure.
[02:25:12]
I would have loved to have a road taken by them that now is has been taken by Finland and Sweden, and that they would then later on start to accede to NATO.
AMANPOUR: Even in negotiations, the Ukrainian politicians, whether it's President Zelenskyy or others say, how can we negotiate with a liar? He says one thing and does another thing. In your book, you write point blank that Putin told you a brazen lie when you confronted him about Russian troops inside Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014. And he also, at one point, told you, look at what's happening in Ukraine. This is the 2004 revolution, the Orange Revolution.
I will never allow that to happen. How can anybody negotiate with somebody who you yourself, who knew Putin pretty well, calls a brazen liar?
MERKEL: Well, at the beginning of my work as federal chancellor, that was not what he did. He did not say these brazen eyes, but later on in Crimea, he did admit that that he had lied, and there was a turning point in our relationship, quite clearly, that I had to be extremely cautious in my approach towards him. So, you cannot only trust in an agreement with him, that's absolutely correct.
So, we have to give to Ukraine in which form whatsoever security guarantees, very clear and absolutely reliable guarantees as we did gave them when they said we're going to dispense with our nuclear power and at the time, but Ukraine cannot be left without any security guarantee in what maybe we think is a peace. In my book, I write quite clearly that apart from the military support for Ukraine, it is very important to also think now of how a diplomatic solution can look like after the end of good war.
AMANPOUR: I'm struck in your book, you as the first female chancellor of Germany, you seem to have been heavily challenged by two macho men. I mean, Donald Trump spent his first campaign, as you write, you know, attacking you. And you were surprised you say that he would spend his presidential campaign attacking a German Chancellor. Putin kept trying to test you as well. And there's the famous story about the dog, right?
And now he's saying that he never knew that you were afraid of the dog when he brought the dog into the meeting the second time that he had that meeting. So, he said, please, Angela, please know that I didn't do this to frighten you. I'm paraphrasing him, but you thought he knew exactly what he was doing.
MERKEL: Well, look into that particular chapter in my book when I made my first visit, my foreign political advisor Christoph Heusgen at the time, said to his interlocutor, his counterpart, that I had been bitten by a dog. So, it would be very kind not to have a dog present. I didn't like them all that much. And then he gave to me a stuffed animal, a dog, and said, this one is not going to bite you.
So maybe he forgot, he's forgotten it but if you read this whole story, then it's not very probable that he didn't know anything about it. I'm writing in my memoir how the situation actually was in Sochi, I adopted a brave face and said, well, never, as the British Royal family says, never explain, never complain, I survived. The dog didn't bite me. So, let's leave it at that.
AMANPOUR: But?
MERKEL: I mean, there's no other explanation for it. It's a little -- a small attempt to test the waters. You know, how resilient a person is, how strong. It's power play basically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Still to come. More on the extraordinary upheaval in South Korea. Martial law declared, then called off. Is the president's impeachment next? We'll have the latest on the political turmoil there.
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[02:31:40]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Welcome back, everyone. According to South Korean media, six opposition parties have now submitted a bill to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. That is after he made the shocking decision to declare martial law late Tuesday, triggering widespread backlash only to rescind the decree hours later.
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CHURCH (voice-over): Labor unions have been chanting that they will never go back to dictatorial rule, which last happened in the 1980s. Protestors have been rallying outside parliament, demanding Mr. Yoon's resignation. The embattled president postponed his first public meeting for Wednesday, while likely considering his next move. His chief of staff and many senior secretaries have already resigned.
CNN's Will Ripley takes a closer look at how this situation has unfolded. WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): South Korea's biggest political crisis in decades ending almost as quickly as it began. President Yoon Suk Yeol vowing to overturn his surprise declaration of martial law hours after parliament voted unanimously against it.
South Korea's first declaration of military rule in more than 40 years igniting massive protests in Seoul, despite months of political gridlock, bitter clashes with opposition leaders, and mounting public frustration, almost nobody saw this coming.
RIPLEY: This is an enormous overreaction by the president to say the very least. But for him to escalate in this way is really, frankly, bizarre.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Chaos outside the National Assembly. Inside an emergency session, parliament voting unanimously, 190-to-zero, to overturn martial law just 150 minutes after Yoon's shocking order. The vote a rare moment of unity in South Korea's deeply divided legislature. Opposition leaders described the president's move as an unprecedented assault on democracy.
LEE JAE-MYUNG, SOUTH KOREAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Tanks, armored personnel carriers, and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country. The judicial system is suspended and an emergency martial law regime where soldiers deliver a summary judgment has begun.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Veteran South Korean journalist, Kenneth Choi, says the nation is in collective shock.
KENNETH CHOI, SOUTH KOREAN JOURNALIST: Everybody is flabbergasted. The very essence of our democracy has probably come to a halt.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The road ahead uncertain. President Yoon's popularity was already plummeting. Now, some are calling for him to resign. Underlying issues, political polarization, economic struggles, and public discontent remain unresolved. South Korea's democracy may have withstood this test, but serious questions remain.
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RIPLEY (on camera): The immediate question, how much longer can President Yoon stay in office? He's being accused of treason by some.
[02:35:00]
There are growing calls for his impeachment. South Korea does have a long history of holding its leaders accountable. They've been a democracy for the last 40 years or so, and four South Korean presidents have gone to jail on various charges after leaving office, either corruption and bribery, or abuse of power and human rights violations. Now, we watch to see what happens in Seoul.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
CHURCH: South Korea's former foreign minister spoke to CNN earlier and weighed in on why she believes President Yoon made the decision to declare martial law.
KANG KYUNG-WHA, FORMER SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER: There are key advisers, key ministers, who are staunch anti-communist ideologues (ph) I would even call it. And so the way his view has been shaped has been very much influenced by these hard-line conservatives, anti- communist. But from that to jump to this idea that there are communist sympathizers, anti-state agents scheming to overthrow the government is completely out of the blue, completely unrelated to anything I can see happening in the country.
Yes, the politics is very fragmented, very divisive, very polarized. But then, it is the role of the president, the duty of the president to be trying to bring the country back together. And he has gone exactly the opposite, more polarized, more extremist in the messages that he's been delivering to the country. And this is aside from all the wrongdoings that are being put to -- before him and his -- and the first lady. And I think that probably was also a big part of the political pressure that he was feeling that then led to him deciding to go this way.
CHURCH: The situation in South Korea caught U.S. officials off guard, according to a National Security Council spokesperson who noted there were concerns about the lack of notice. But the Pentagon says the turmoil has not affected American forces stationed in South Korea. CNN's Oren Liebermann has more.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The Pentagon has been watching the situation in South Korea very closely, at least partially because of the massive U.S. military presence there at Camp Humphreys, some 28,500 U.S. troops there, in addition to all these civilian DOD personnel and the families that are there. So it is a major U.S. military presence as well as a critical U.S. military alliance.
U.S. Forces Korea is led by a four-star general, General Paul Lacamera. So, that is part of the critical nature of the relationship between the U.S. and the South Koreans there. The U.S. of course has been in touch with the South Korean government, and that includes military to military conversations here according to the Pentagon, although they haven't detailed the extent of those conversations. There were -- throughout the hours that this took place, there were no changes to U.S. military force posture there and no additional rules or curfews that were imposed on U.S. service members there, according to the Pentagon.
But this is a situation they're obviously watching and continue to watch very closely. And that of course includes, because of North Korea, this is sort of a situation where you might expect to see Kim Jong-un trying to take advantage of this and carry out a ballistic missile launch, or a drone launch, or a military exercise that would sort of flex his muscle, especially because the South Korean president blamed what he called North Korean communists for the situation that led him to declare martial law.
But at least as of now, the Pentagon says they haven't seen any indication of any major change from North Korea. But of course, given -- frankly, given how sensitive the entire region is and given Kim's history of sort of taking advantage of a situation and -- or a perceived insult and carrying out some sort of military test or exercise, this is something the Pentagon is still watching very closely.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, in the Pentagon.
CHURCH: Meantime, back here in the United States, Donald Trump may be considering replacing his pick for Secretary of Defense. A senior transition team source tells CNN, the nomination of Pete Hegseth is in trouble. The former Fox News host has been navigating multiple controversies and allegations, and the Trump transition source says Hegseth has not been honest with Trump or his team. As a result, multiple sources say Trump's allies are making a list of alternative picks in case the situation gets worse.
Among the names are Florida Governor and former rival, Ron DeSantis, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, and Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty. CNN's Manu Raju has more now from Capitol Hill.
[02:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pete Hegseth now facing a tough road to become the next Secretary of Defense.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R-SC): Some of these articles are very disturbing.
RAJU (voice-over): The former Fox News host and military veteran has tried to weather a series of damaging stories about his personal conduct, including allegations of sexual assault.
RAJU: Are you concerned?
SEN. KEVIN CRAMER, (R-ND): Of course, it's concerning. But I look forward to visiting with Pete about it and seeing -- I'm interested in who Pete Hegseth is today and who he is going forward.
SEN. MIKE ROUNDS, (R-SD): We'll be asking questions. But look, the President always gets the benefit of the doubt on his nominees.
RAJU (voice-over): But there's little margin for error, since just four GOP defections could derail the nomination, with all Democrats in the 53/47 GOP Senate likely to oppose him.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, (D-CT): This nomination is doomed.
RAJU (voice-over): Several GOP Senators are undecided, including Joni Ernst, a survivor of sexual assault, who has spoken out against such crimes in the military and told CNN today, she planned to have a "frank and thorough conversation" with Hegseth later this week. All of it key demands amid undecided Senators for more information about Hegseth's past. RAJU: What is the level of concern about him right now?
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, (R-ME): As I've repeatedly said to you, I believe that we need an FBI background check to evaluate the allegations.
RAJU (voice-over): Hegseth has faced a series of damaging stories, including about a 2017 incident when a woman alleged he sexually assaulted her in a California hotel room, but no charges were filed as Hegseth entered into a financial settlement with the accuser and later contended their interaction was consensual.
PETE HEGSETH, PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP'S PICK FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY: The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared.
RAJU (voice-over): This week, "The New Yorker" reporting that Hegseth was forced out of running two veterans' groups over "serious allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety, and personal misconduct," including allegedly being intoxicated on the job. A Hegseth adviser called them outlandish claims from a petty and jealous former associate.
RAJU: Mr. Hegseth, can you respond to these allegations in "The New Yorker" article?
RAJU (voice-over): The last time the Senate voted down a cabinet nominee was in 1989. That's when George Bush's pick of John Tower to serve as Defense Secretary was defeated amid allegations of womanizing and drunkenness.
RAJU: Hegseth has faced similar allegations. Have the standards now just changed?
CRAMER: Well, I don't think there's much question that the tolerance for certain things has changed, but I would say, Manu, in many respects, grace abounds all the more and I think that's not such a bad thing.
RAJU (voice-over)" One of the big questions that Senators have is what is contained in a whistleblower report that was reported by "The New Yorker" magazine, detailing allegations of misconduct that occurred while Pete Hegseth was running a veterans' organization. Roger Wicker, who's going to Chair the Senate Armed Services Committee next year, which will be in charge of considering Hegseth's nomination told me, "I'm sure we'll see it."
When I asked him if he wanted to see that whistleblower report, as many other Republican Senators and Democrats are curious about the contents underscoring the challenges that Hegseth has ahead.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Earlier, I spoke with Larry Sabato, the Director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, and I asked him if it's possible Pete Hegseth might withdraw his own name if the situation doesn't improve and who might be the best fit to fill that void in Trump's prospective cabinet?
WITH LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, as far as Hegseth actually withdrawing his name, that's up to him. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that the odds are pretty heavily stacked against his confirmation. So, he could stretch this out and therefore stretch the embarrassment out, or he could decide to do what Matt Gaetz did and just chalk it up to experience. He's not going to be confirmed. I think that's pretty obvious.
But the substitute is going to be very interesting. Now, we already know that some of this transition was incredibly sloppy. They didn't do the kind of background research that you have to do in order to keep yourself from having these sorts of embarrassments. So this time around, they're likely to pick somebody who's been vetted in other ways.
The strongest possible successor would be Joni Ernst, Senator from Iowa. She has a military background. She cares deeply about sexual harassment in the military. She's very well versed in most of the military issues. I think she would be a very solid Secretary of Defense. I'm not as sure about Ron DeSantis and Senator Hagerty. But I think either one of them would obviously be superior to Pete Hegseth. I can't imagine, after having run for Governor of Florida and Senator from Tennessee, that they would have the same kinds of vetting problems that Hegseth has.
CHURCH: Now, Larry, this may change, of course, but part of the Trump team's strategy to save Hegseth was to have him interviewed on Fox News in the coming hours. His mother is also set to appear on Fox. Back in 2018, his mom wrote a scathing email accusing her son of abusing and mistreating women. He was going through his divorce at the time and his mother later apologized. But that same email was published in "The New York Times" over the weekend. Can the media blitz help Hegseth's nomination, do you think?
SABATO: Not particularly. It would only help him with some Republicans, but according to some media accounts, there are already a half a dozen Republican Senators who are pretty much decided to vote against him. I can't imagine them being persuaded at this point. So only three or four, depending on who's participating in the vote, of the Republicans are necessary to defeat a nominee. The Democrats will certainly all vote against him. So, as I say, the odds are pretty heavily against Hegseth being confirmed no matter what they try at this point.
CHURCH: And you can see my entire conversation with Larry Sabato next hour, right here on CNN.
Coming up, a major development in the more than three-week search for missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi. Back with that in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. federal authorities say they have foiled a sophisticated scheme to ship restricted weapons, ammunition, and military-grade technology to North Korea. A Chinese national now under arrest, reportedly said the items were to be used in a surprise attack against South Korea. CNN's Josh Campbell has details on the case.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The FBI has arrested a man they say was part of a scheme to illegally obtain weapons and military-grade technology for shipment to the North Korean regime. Shenghua Wen, an undocumented Chinese national living unlawfully in Ontario, California, first came to the U.S. in 2012 as a student. But before arriving, authorities allege he met with North Korean officials and was later provided $2 million to help Pyongyang obtain prohibited items.
Wen is charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. export control laws. His alleged co-conspirators were not named in the criminal complaint against him. Now, CNN is attempting to locate Wen's attorney for comment. During interviews with the FBI, Wen allegedly said "He believed the North Korean government wanted the weapons, ammunition, and other military-related equipment to prepare for an attack against South Korea, as well as military uniforms which subsequently would be used by the North Korean military to disguise their soldiers to conduct a surprise attack on South Korea."
[02:50:00]
Prosecutors allege Wen established an export company in Texas where firearms and ammunition were procured and transported to the Los Angeles area, and then ultimately packed in cargo containers bearing fake inventory manifests for shipment to the North Koreans as recently as 2023. The criminal complaint alleges Wen and his co-conspirators sent at least two shipments of firearms and ammunition from Long Beach, California to North Korea via Hong Kong and China. While executing a search warrant at Wen's home in September, authorities say they seized 50,000 rounds of ammunition, sophisticated chemical detection equipment, and a tool used for detecting listening devices, which Wen allegedly said he intended to also ship to North Korea.
AKIL DAVIS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Not only did the investigative team prevent additional restricted items from going to the North Korean regime, but they gathered valuable intelligence for the United States and all of our allies. This case is the success for the United States and no doubt dealt a significant blow to the North Korean government.
CAMPBELL: Now, if convicted of violating U.S. export control laws, authorities say Wen could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Josh Campbell, CNN, Los Angeles.
CHURCH: U.S. officials are still working with the country's major telecom providers to evict Chinese government-backed hackers from their networks. Officials say there's no timeline for when that will be done, as it remains unclear how deeply they've penetrated the networks. A senior FBI official says the agency began investigating the hacking activity in late spring or early summer, and that a large amount of bulk phone records was stolen, including the call and text data of a limited number of people in politics and the government.
The alleged Chinese hackers have also gone after President-elect Donald Trump with the issue shaping up to be a top national security challenge for the incoming administration. Los Angeles Police have now declared Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi a voluntary missing person, after surveillance video from the border showed the 30-year-old crossing by foot into Mexico, the development coming more than three weeks after she went missing. Still, Kobayashi's family has vowed not to stop looking and remain committed to bringing her home. CNN's Nick Watt has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHIEF JIM MCDONNELL, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: We reviewed video surveillance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection which clearly shows Kobayashi crossing the United States border on foot into Mexico. She was alone with her luggage and appeared unharmed.
NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mystery remains. But the LAPD is no longer searching for Hannah Kobayashi who they now say is voluntary missing.
MCDONNELL: She has a right to her privacy and we respect her choices.
WATT (voice-over): But Kobayashi's family and friends say they still haven't heard from her, and it's now more than three weeks since this. I can't explain all of it, she texted a friend November 11th. Deep hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds.
MCDONNELL: To date, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play. She's also not a suspect in any criminal activity.
WATT (voice-over): Here's what we know. Before leaving Hawaii, the 30-year-old photographer, supposedly on route to a gig in New York, expressed a desire to disconnect from what police call modern connectivity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know she doesn't have her phone on her. For what reason? We can't -- we can't say for sure.
WATT (voice-over): November 8th, Kobayashi landed in LA with an ex. He made the connection to New York; she did not. She is spotted at The Grove Shopping Mall and elsewhere, seen with a man near the Crypto.com Arena.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have identified that individual. That individual was cooperative in the investigation.
WATT (voice-over): But unclear if he shed any light on this mystery that has fed wild conspiracy theories from cults to hackers to kidnappers. Her father flew to LA to find her.
RYAN KOBAYASHI, FATHER OF HANNAH KOBAYASHI: We're going to find Hannah. We'll get her. Yeah.
WATT (voice-over): Ryan Kobayashi searched for his daughter for nearly two weeks. He did not find her and took his own life. As you can imagine, the family is devastated. Hannah's aunt told reporters, we also want to make it clear, Ryan died of a broken heart. November 11th, Kobayashi picked up her luggage from LAX, took a metro to Union Station.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She used her passport and cash to purchase a ticket to get to the border.
WATT (voice-over): Police say she crossed into Mexico November 12th at 12:13 PM at San Ysidro, south of San Diego.
MCDONNELL: We've basically done everything we can do at this point. She has left the nation -- left the country and in another nation now. So --
WATT (voice-over): Hannah Kobayashi's family is still looking for answers. They released a statement that reads in part, our family remains hopeful that Hannah is safe and urges everyone to continue the search. The search is far from over and we are committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:55:00]
WATT (on camera): They also caution people not to reach "speculative conclusions." This case has of course, spawned many a conspiracy theory.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
CHURCH: And will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, what did the U.S. presidential election, the Menendez Brothers and the Indian Premier League have in common? They were some of the most popular searches on Wikipedia this year. Deaths in 2024 was the most viewed Wikipedia page of the year. According to the Wikimedia Foundation, it racked up more than 44 million views. Pop culture also dominated the annual list of most visited pages, with the movie Deadpool and Wolverine cracking the top- 10 ahead of superstars like Taylor Swift and Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. There you go.
Thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stick around.
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