Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Lee Jae-myung Elected President of South Korea; A.I. Generated Videos Mock U.S. President Trump's Tariff Policies; Ukraine Strikes Bridge Connecting Russia to Crimea; Chile Prosecutes Individuals Alleged to Have Stolen Babies; Child Prosecutes Individuals Alleged to Have Stolen Babies; How Marilyn Monroe's White Dress Made Her a Movie Icon. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired June 04, 2025 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[00:00:04]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, and everyone streaming us on CNN MAX. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, South Korea's opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is inaugurated as the country's new president. We are live in Seoul with more on how he plans to, in his words, build a completely new nation.

U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports have officially doubled as of right now. How China is reacting to Donald Trump's negotiating tactics.

Plus, Chile's children of silence. Decades after thousands went missing under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, a judge is now prosecuting people accused of running a network to steal children and sell them into adoption.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. It is just past 1:00 p.m. in Seoul, South Korea, where the country now has a new president. 60-year-old Lee Jae-myung took the oath of office just a few hours ago. He is the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and is pledging to revive South Korea's struggling economy.

President Lee also hopes to help the country recover from months of political turmoil after his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, briefly declared martial law last December. Yoon has since been impeached and faces insurrection charges, which he denies.

CNN's Mike Valerio joins us now live from Seoul.

Good to see you, Mike. So a new president for South Korea who says he plans to build a completely new nation. How will he do that? And what's the mood in the country right now as it embarks on a new future? MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Rosemary, I would say

that the mood across South Korea is one of distinct wariness based on everything that people who live here have been through over the past six months with martial law especially happening on December 3rd. But I would say wariness marked with a huge degree of hope, especially among the electorate that voted for Lee Jae-myung and sees him as a way of turning the page.

So how can he possibly work to build that completely new nation? It's a huge herculean task, but one of the concrete ways that he offered just a few minutes ago when he finished his inaugural speech, or just before he concluded his inaugural speech, I should say, he offered to build an emergency economic task force hitting the ground, trying to meet the moment on day one to improve the microeconomic picture of how people live here.

Much like the rest of the world, it's too expensive, especially here in Seoul, to afford everyday things. If you have kids, you're concerned if they're going to be better off than your life trajectory has led you to. So there's that.

And also we got the sense, Rosemary, that perhaps when this administration enters into trade negotiations with the United States, that he's going to be not heading into a deal too quickly. He made it a point to say that he's going to turn this moment of economic crisis. South Korea, a huge tech titan, but also a huge tech exporter, particularly vulnerable to these United States tariffs.

He said that he could turn this moment of crisis into one of opportunity by negotiating tactfully, with diplomacy, not going into a deal too quickly, and acting in the national interest, rather than rushing into a deal and perhaps having a worse outcome for South Korea in the name of getting something done too quickly.

You know, Rosemary, in the next hour when we join you, we're going to have some soundbites from President Lee. Takes a little bit of time. Apologies to dub them into English, but when we join you the next hour, you know we're going to share some thoughts that he had on North Korea.

And I thought it was particularly striking, the Democratic Party here, of which he's the head as president, has come under a lot of criticism from all different quarters of South Korean society, even under the international community, for perhaps being too conciliatory towards North Korea, trying to make peace with North Korea at the risk of endangering other priorities for the nation.

But he said, you know what? Let me give a reality check to the nation. Lee Jae-myung, in so many words, paraphrasing him here, Rosemary, said that South Korea has the fifth largest military in the world. Its defense budget is twice the GDP of North Korea's. So he's trying to reassure the nation that they're going to be fine in the face of a Northern threat, but also saying he's going to try to keep making peace.

We'll have those comments in the next hour, Rosemary. CHURCH: All right. We'll look forward to that. Mike Valerio, joining

us live from Seoul with that report. Appreciate it.

And joining me now from Honolulu, Hawaii, retired Republican of Korea Army, Lieutenant General In-Bum Chun.

[00:05:05]

Appreciate you joining us, sir.

LT. GEN. IN-BUM CHUN (RET.), REPUBLIC OF KOREA ARMY: Thank you for the invitation.

CHURCH: So South Korea now has a new president and a new future. What comes next for the country and what are you expecting from Lee Jae- myung as he takes the reins and leads South Korea through its many challenges in the wake of its recent political turmoil?

CHUN: Yes. First, I think he needs a very capable Cabinet to make sure that his political goals are turned into realistic policy and that it actually meets the realities of the Korean Peninsula. So I'm waiting in earnest to see the layout of the new Cabinet members.

And as he said, our economy is not doing well. For the past six months, there has been zero growth. We are having unemployment issues, labor issues, trade issues, some of which is generated by international trade issues, which stems from the United States. So it's going to be a hard start for President Lee. I wish him the best.

CHURCH: Yes. And you mentioned the economy. That was, of course, one of the biggest issues in this election, wasn't it? So what will President Lee and his Cabinet need to do to get the country back on track? And do you agree that the economy is South Korea's biggest challenge right now?

CHUN: For the moment, yes, I do agree that the economy is our biggest problem. If you talk to small business owners and small businesses, they're really struggling. A lot of them have gone out of business, especially after the martial law declaration, which was a critical element in the results of the elections. So he's going to have to do that. As he does this, he's going to have to balance the needs of the underprivileged in Korean society as well as those who, you know, earn money and pay taxes.

So it's going to be interesting to see how he does that. And so that's one of my priorities. And of course, because of my previous history, I'm also keen on seeing what his security initiatives will be.

CHURCH: Yes. And I want to ask you, you know, because, of course, as part of his platform, President Lee did say that he wanted to ease tensions with North Korea. That has upset some people. So how might he do that? And what do you see as the other major challenges facing the new president and his Cabinet?

CHUN: So I think, although it's a noble idea to ease tensions, right now the North Koreans are not eager to accept our hand of peace unless we agree to their terms, which is recognizing North Korea as a Bonafide legitimate nuclear power. And what that means is lifting all of the economic sanctions and actually rewarding North Korea. And unless we are given some type of firm conditions for this, it would be something that would be hard to accept and understand.

I also am concerned that South Korea might be too overconfident of our capabilities against North Korea. Every day, North Koreans have become stronger, especially with their new relationship with the Russians and their experience that they have gained in Ukraine. My underlying belief is you should never underestimate your enemy. And I would caution the new administration that they must never do this as well.

CHURCH: In-Bum Chun, thank you for joining us. Appreciate it.

CHUN: Thank you.

CHURCH: New U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect just minutes ago. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday, doubling the tariffs from 25 percent to 50 percent. Critics warn this could lead to higher prices on everything from cars and appliances to electrical equipment and even groceries.

But the U.S. president insists the action will boost manufacturing jobs. Meanwhile, the U.S. Trade representative has told all countries that trade with the United States to submit their best trade proposals by today, Wednesday.

Well, meanwhile, trade tensions between the U.S. and China are rising, with Chinese state media enlisting the help of A.I. to take new swipes at President Trump.

CNN's Will Ripley explains.

[00:10:01]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This A.I. generated anime is going viral in China, portraying U.S. President Donald Trump as a tariff wielding superhero. It's one of several recent videos mocking Trump's trade war policies. Many of them created with A.I.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Singing) You taxed each truck, you taxed each tire. Midwest's burning in your dumpster fire.

RIPLEY: China's English language broadcaster produced this video blaming Trump's tariffs for U.S. inflation and global instability. The video echoes Beijing's official stance.

Since the U.S. imposition of the unilateral tariff measures, it has not resolved any of its own issues, she says, and has instead severely undermined the international economic and trade order.

China's Xinhua News Agency produced this A.I. animation, featuring a robot named Tariff programmed to impose trade restrictions. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now choose death to end the harm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please don't do this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Goodbye, Dr. Mallory.

RIPLEY: The robot self-destructs rather than obey orders to raise tariffs.

A.I. generated clips like these showing Trump and Elon Musk hard at work in factories have been flooding Chinas tightly controlled social media platforms for months, all untouched by Beijing's army of online censors, designed to push Chinas narrative the U.S. is making a fool of itself and more importantly losing ground to China in the global trade war President Trump started.

China's foreign trade has been able to withstand the difficulties, he says, maintaining steady growth and showing strong resilience to maintain competitiveness on the international front.

China's Bureau of Statistics put out numbers claiming exports are actually rising despite the trade war, partially due to a surge in orders before the tariffs kicked in. Outside observers often questioned the accuracy of China's numbers, which are impossible to independently verify.

At this Chinese textile plant, the director says the U.S. no longer dominates their strategy.

The trade war made me realize the U.S. is just a small part of the global market, he says. We'd rather bring Chinese products to the rest of the world, reasonably priced, high quality, and let more people benefit.

China's top diplomat is also firing back. Wang Yi reportedly telling new U.S. Ambassador David Perdue the U.S.-China relationship is at a critical juncture. The Chinese readout of the meeting also says David Perdue stated that President Trump greatly respects President Xi Jinping. Far from tough talk, China claims, ahead of that likely crucial call between Trump and Xi.

(On-camera): They sure do have a lot to talk about, the 90-day trade truce they brokered in Geneva is unraveling right now. At stake, rare earth minerals vital for U.S. tech and defense, which China is still restricting. Washington's latest retaliatory moves include tech sanctions and student visa bans. Both sides are now accusing the other of undermining the agreement, which is putting global markets and supply chains on edge.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Elon musk is sharing how he really feels about President Trump's big, beautiful bill. He called it, quote, "a disgusting abomination," saying lawmakers who voted for it, quote, "know you did wrong." In later posts, Musk accused Congress of making America bankrupt and called for action to fire all politicians who betrayed the American people. President Trump is rallying support in the Senate for the controversial legislation, which is meant to fund his domestic policy agenda.

Israel's military is warning residents of Gaza against heading to aid centers on Wednesday, calling them, quote, "combat zones." The warning follows three days of deadly incidents near aid distribution centers. Dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured while trying to collect aid, and there are conflicting reports on what happened.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it is closing its aid sites on Wednesday for logistical preparations. The U.S. and Israel backed organization has been criticized by the United Nations for its limited number of distribution sites.

And the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on Wednesday on a resolution demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, according to a Slovenian diplomat. The draft resolution seen by CNN also demands the immediate lifting of restrictions on aid for Gaza.

An attack months in the making. Just ahead, details on Ukraine's latest attack targeting a key supply line for Russian troops.

Back with that and more in just a moment.

[00:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Ukraine has carried out yet another daring attack just days after striking military targets deep inside Russia. This time, Ukraine's security service says it hit the Kerch Bridge, a key supply line for Moscow's troops connecting Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

CNN's Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Ukraine's latest spectacular attack targeting the Crimea Bridge, vital to Russia's war in Ukraine. 1100 kilograms of explosives hidden underwater. A months long operation, according to Ukraine's security service.

[00:20:03]

It's not the first time Ukraine has tried to take out the 12-mile rail and road bridge that links mainland Russia to annexed Crimea. In 2022, Ukraine blew up the roadway, briefly disrupting Russia's flow of war fighting material. In 2023, Ukraine again tried to take out the bridge. Pioneering new technology, a so-called sea baby or water drone hitting the bridge at water level. But the bridge held.

The estimated $3.7 billion link was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, four years after he illegally annexed Crimea during Russia's first invasion of Ukraine. Roughly the size of Maryland, Crimea is hugely important to Putin, home to Russia's strategic Black Sea fleet and a key hub in attacking Ukraine.

Since his 2022 Ukraine land grab, Putin has also secured a land link to the island-like peninsula. Ukraine has vowed never to give it up. Ukraine's Crimea bridge attack comes days after another spectacular strategic strike hitting Russia's long range bombers at air bases thousands of kilometers from Ukraine.

But on the grinding battlefront, Ukraine is incrementally losing ground, nowhere faster right now than around the northern city of Sumy. Russian artillery now so close they are striking the city center. At least four civilians killed, about 20 injured Tuesday, according to city officials.

(On-camera): With peace talks effectively deadlocked, Ukraine's strategic moonshots definitely a boost for morale and a hint they still have some hidden cards to play. But this, as Putin seems intent to ignore President Donald Trump's calls for a ceasefire. Putin opting instead for a war of attrition.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, Chile issues arrest warrants for a decades old scheme to steal and sell babies under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Now the victims and their families are demanding truth and justice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:27:26]

CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.

Want to take a look at today's top stories for you.

The latest U.S. tariff hike has now kicked in. President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday, doubling the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25 percent to 50 percent. He has claimed this will ensure the end of steel imports and protect jobs. But critics say the tariffs will only increase costs for consumers.

Preliminary results from Mexico's judicial elections show the country's ruling party gained more seats in the Supreme Court. That will give President Claudia Sheinbaum's party control of every branch of government. Only about 13 percent of voters took part in the controversial election Sunday. Critics say putting the judiciary itself up for a vote poses a risk to the rule of law.

The Dutch government is in political chaos after the largest party of the governing coalition withdrew its support. The leader of the far- right Party for Freedom says it is leaving the coalition over its policy for asylum seekers. The prime minister called the decision unnecessary and irresponsible. Opposition leaders are calling for immediate elections.

A dark part of Chile's history is coming to light. The government is prosecuting individuals who allegedly participated in a scheme decades ago to steal babies from their parents and secretly sell them into adoption. A judge in Santiago has charged and issued arrest warrants for five people in the investigation. The first case of its kind in the country's history.

CNN's Rafael Romo has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY LIPPERT THYDEN, STOLEN AS A BABY IN CHILE: My mother, my mama, she gave birth to me one month premature. They told her, you know, oh, he looks jaundiced. You know, he looks yellow. We need to put him in an incubator. And they carried me out of there before she could hold me. Before she could name me, they carried me out. And then they came back and told her that I had died.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's how the story of Jimmy Lippert Thyden begins. Born in Chile, he says he was stolen from his biological mother and sold to be made available for adoption by an American couple who had no idea about the truth.

THYDEN: They never believed for one second they were buying a child. They never would have done that.

ROMO: It's the story of tens of thousands of children in Chile who were torn apart from their families in the '70s and '80s during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.

[00:30:08]

And now, for the first time, a Chilean judge is prosecuting five people who allegedly were involved in the theft of babies in Chile in the '70s and '80s.

As part of the investigation, the judge has determined that lawyers, priests of the Catholic Church, members of social organizations, health officials, and a judge were part of a ring that focused on abducting or stealing infants for monetary gain, with the purpose of taking them out of the country to different destinations in Europe and the U.S., and charging as much as $50,000.

Over the last decade, CNN has documented cases of people stolen as babies in Chile who have reunited with their biological mothers decades later, after taking a DNA test to prove the relationship.

Scott Lieberman, an American born in Chile, is one of them.

SCOTT LIEBERMAN, STOLEN AS A BABY IN CHILE: I didn't know what happened. I lived 42 years of my life without knowing that I was stolen, knowing what -- what was happening down in Chile during the '70s and 80s.

And I just -- I want people to know. People need to know there are families out there that -- they can still be reunited.

ROMO: Scott Lieberman says he always knew that he was adopted from Chile. What he did not know --

ROMO (voice-over): -- was the whole truth about how the adoption happened.

He found out that, in the '70s and '80s --

ROMO: -- there had been many cases of babies stolen in Chile and sold to adoption agencies and began to wonder if the same thing had happened to him.

ROMO (voice-over): The government of Chile named a special prosecutor in 2015 to investigate cases of stolen babies, and then a second one, who last year said that he hadn't been able to establish that any crimes had been committed.

But Chilean President Gabriel Boric created a task force last year to investigate the cases, and has publicly stated that "many babies were stolen for a long time and handed over to foreign families in the United States and Europe."

On Sunday, he announced the Chilean government will create a genetic fingerprint bank that will provide additional means of searching for origins and enable family reunification. Giving hope to the many people in Chile and abroad who are still seeking long-lost families.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, ANCHOR: Well, now is your chance to own items either owned, signed by, or linked to movie star Marilyn Monroe. We'll have details of the auction on the other side of the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:37:27]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, France is extinguishing its long-standing love affair with cigarettes.

Starting July 1st, the country plans to ban smoking in many public outdoor areas, including beaches, parks, schools, bus stops, and sports fields, in an effort to protect children.

French health officials say smoking kills around 200 people every day in the country. The U.K. announced a similar ban last year.

So, if you're a fan of Marilyn Monroe, you will want to hear this. Juliens auctions is hosting a ten-day online auction of items linked to the iconic movie star to celebrate what would have been her 99th birthday. It includes jewelry, photographs, and even checks that the auction

house says are signed by Monroe herself.

But everyone knows, of course, the movie star is most recognizable for her iconic outfits, like the famous white dress from "The Seven Year Itch." Jenny Marc has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNY MARC, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (voice-over): Legacy-making, scandalizing.

MARILYN MONROE, ACTRESS: Do you feel the breeze from the subway? Isn't it delicious?

MARC (voice-over): When an upward breeze caught Marilyn Monroe's cocktail dress in 1955's "The Seven Year Itch," it cemented the 29- year-old actress as the prototypical Hollywood goddess.

And while it might not have been the first, some critics say it was a nod to Thomas Edison's "What Happened on 23rd Street in New York City." It was a moment that went down in cinema history.

Although --

MONROE: Here comes another one.

MARC (voice-over): -- Monroe's encounter with the New York subway grate was actually filmed in California, as the original 14 takes, filmed in front of a crowd of press and cheering fans in New York, were unusable.

Among the onlookers was Monroe's husband, Joe DiMaggio, who disapproved of the scene. It was allegedly one of the factors that led to the star's divorce from the famous baseball player.

The dress itself was made by costume designer William Travilla, who later referred to it as "that silly little dress."

Carefully crafted from rayon acetate crepe, it was heavy enough to swing as Monroe walked, but light enough to catch the breeze from the grate.

Though many of Monroe's looks are legendary, the white dress is perhaps her most recognizable, and her wardrobe has consistently inspired pop culture through the years, with echoes seen on red carpets to this day.

While the famous scene has reverberated throughout cinema, like in 1994's "Pulp Fiction," it's inspired works of art, including a 26- foot-tall statue by Seward Johnson and is even referenced in advertising, like this 2016 Super Bowl ad from Snickers with Willem DaFoe.

[00:40:06]

WILLEM DAFOE, ACTOR: This is a disaster. Who's the genius who puts a girl in heels on a subway grate?

MARC (voice-over): The original dress sold at auction for what was a record-breaking $4.6 million in 2011. It was the most expensive dress ever put under the hammer until Monroes happy birthday outfit sold for 4.8 million five years later.

Proof, if it was needed, of Marilyn's indelible mark on fashion history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. WORLD SPORT is coming up next. Then I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. Do stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:30]

(WORLD SPORT)