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Protests in Los Angeles; No Truce Between Trump and Musk; Gaza Aid Group Cancels Food Distribution; Hostages Recovered in Gaza; Presidential Hopeful Shot in Colombia; Russia Hits Kharkiv Twice in Single Day; South Korea Changes Course. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 08, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They can't do that without an organized and fierce resistance, and that's what they encounter here today.

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BRUNHUBER: Protests erupt for a second day as immigration officials launch raids in Los Angeles. We'll look at how Washington is getting involved. A presidential hopeful is shot in Colombia. We'll get the latest on his condition and the suspect arrested in his attack. And South Korea's new leader takes the reins of government. We'll look at why this could be a chance for Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un to restart a dialogue

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Donald Trump is defying California officials and deploying National Guard troops after a second day of protests against immigration detentions across Los Angeles. California's governor says it's purposefully inflammatory. The U.S. military's Northern Command will be in control of the troops and defense Secretary says active-duty Marines are ready for mobilization, quote, "if violence continues."

Authorities say multiple people have been detained in downtown L.A. Law enforcement authorities in riot gear used tear gas and flashbang grenades just as they did during protests, Friday. CNN spoke earlier with California State Assembly Member Jose Luis Solache Jr. And he was there and among those exposed to tear gas. Here he is.

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JOSE LUIS SOLACHE JR., CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER: There's definitely a variety of demonstrators. I have to be objective here. And there's been people that are -- of course, are angry. They're passionate about why they're -- why, you know, agents are here. And you have a variety of folks that obviously are here peacefully and there are people who are a little more aggressive and that's just being objective. But of course, community's upset of why they're even here in our community.

(INAUDIBLE) in a very high immigrant, high and documented community in my district, which we're proud of the work that we all contribute to this country. The -- these are not criminals, these are people that are hardworking people that are contributing. And of course, that's what people are angry about. You're going to come and take -- you're doing rates and looking for people that are at their workplace, at their at -- contributing to this country and they're not criminals. So, that's what people are upset about, including myself.

I was affected myself earlier because some -- they were shooting to toward the area where I was standing. Of course, I ran through that and it was the first time I ever got gas in my eyes. And of course, the coughing. So, it's my first time experiencing it's not a good feeling.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Julius Vargas Jones was on the scene all day and had this report from downtown Los Angeles.

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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am in downtown Los Angeles where protestors have been gathering outside the federal building that houses ICE and U.S. CIS. It's also a detention center. They're saying release the 118 people that were arrested in ICE operations this week. They're saying there's no room for ICE in Los Angeles.

And they just moments ago cheered saying that the National Guard will not make a difference. They will continue to resist. And we have been seeing some scenes of defiance, both here in downtown Los Angeles as well as in Paramount, California, where earlier on Saturday ICE had a staging area and then clashed with protestors there deploying some tear gas in a scene that developed for hours and hours later across the highway in Compton, California.

We saw a car set on fire by protestors holding a Mexican flag there as they set that vehicle on fire. That's, again, about an hour south of where we are now and where we saw action today. But last night, this was also a scene of protests. It seems that Los Angeles is responding to this, and that is being echoed by the officials here as well. The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, saying that she was angered by this, calling in a terror tactic. Governor Gavin Newsom saying that these were accrual operations that were taken place here in Los Angeles and saying that bringing the National Guard would only fan the flames of these protests that are so far under control. The LAPD issuing a statement later on Saturday saying that the protests in L.A. City were peaceful.

Now, President Donald Trump did speak about this on Truth Social. He posted saying that there were looters across town and that the National Guard was needed in order to bring back the order to this town and these authorities here pushing back on that narrative saying things are under control, peaceful protests are taking place, but people have the right to protest. Back to you.

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[04:05:00]

BRUNHUBER: I want to bring in Anton Farmby, who's vice president of the Service Employees International Union's United Service Workers West. And he joins us from Los Angeles. Thanks so much for being here with us.

So, some of the protests. As we heard have been peaceful and others there have been attacks on vehicles. There was, you know, rubber bullets, tear gas fired. What have you seen?

ANTON FARMBY, VICE PRESIDENT, SEIU UNITED SERVICE WORKERS WEST: Yes, I'm here in Los Angeles. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate the time. You know, I think for the most part we've had pretty peaceful protests as people can see. I mean, there are some folks who are pretty frustrated about what's happening and what has taken place with the raids and in Los Angeles, but for the most part, we've seen pretty peaceful protests here in Los Angeles.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and that's what the LAPD said as we heard there in that report. So, the decision to deploy the National Guard, what do you make of that?

FARMBY: Well, I mean, I think that when you look at what's happening right now, I think that the goal should be to try to deescalate not to escalate. I think rolling in with tanks and, you know, armed guards with guns and vests is not, you know, what we're looking for here. I think that when you talk about the First Amendment rights of folks to peacefully assemble and protest we have a right to do that.

But I think when you present the National Guard in a situation like this, I think it presents for an opportunity for escalation.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Is the danger here that the reaction to this might be used to justify further repression that this is kind of just a way to bait protestors into going too far?

FARMBY: Yes. No, absolutely. And I think that as protestors and exercising your First Amendment, we have to maintain that. We want to continue to have our voices heard, but do it in a peaceful way. And I think by bringing in the elements of military type of personnel doesn't help the situation at all.

BRUNHUBER: What's your message then to members who plan to join these protests?

FARMBY: Well, I mean, as vice president of SEIU, as our union, you know, we want to continue to make our voices heard and our -- and around what is happening with these raised by ICE agents. You know, this is tearing up communities. We represent workers here in Los Angeles, and we're going to continue to advocate and stand with our immigrant community.

And so, we're going to continue to do that. We're going to continue to peacefully protest. We're going to continue to speak out, and as long as we're doing that, we feel like we're within our rights as U.S. citizens and within our rights as a labor union.

BRUNHUBER: Well, on that idea of the right to, you know, speak out, I mean, the president of your organization was injured and detained while reportedly documenting an immigration enforcement raid on Friday. Federal authorities say he deliberately obstructed federal agents' access by blocking their vehicle while they were executing a warrant. So, what more can you tell us about that?

FARMBY: Well, first Kim, what I would like to say first, I want to say that unequivocally, that the members of SEIU, United Service Forces West, are calling up on the immediate release of our president, David Huerta, who was injured during the -- while he was being detained by ICE.

I was not present at the protest, but I've seen all of the footage and I spoke to several witnesses and I did not see any impeding on -- of getting in the way of officers doing their job. There was a physical altercation with ICE agents. He was thrown to the ground. He received a head injury and he received pepper spray in his face.

And so, you know, look, this is not what we want. This is not the goal. He has a right to First Amendment, to document and to continue to speak for immigrant workers in California. And that was the goal. And that's what we're going to continue to do. But the -- we're calling on an immediate release of our president because we believe that he was illegally detained.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have to leave it there, but really appreciate having you on here, Anton Farmby, in Los Angeles. Thanks so much.

FARMBY: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, there's no signs of makeup between the U.S. president and the world's richest man. On Saturday, Donald Trump said Elon Musk would, quote, "pay the consequences" if he follows through on his threat to challenge Republicans who vote for the so-called big beautiful BILL. CNN's Betsy Klein is following the latest developments.

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BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: White House officials spent the end of the week trying to diffuse and downplay that explosive breakup between President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Now, this all started because of disagreements over the president's sweeping domestic agenda that is working its way through Congress.

[04:10:00] Musk believes that that bill will add too much to the federal deficit. Of course, it quickly devolved as the two began trading personal insults on dueling social media platforms owned by each of the men. But this could have very real-world consequences. Musk, at one point, indicated openness to the possibility of impeaching the president or removing him from office and installing Vice President J. D. Vance. But of course, he has vowed to spend millions of dollars in the 2026 midterm elections on Trump aligned candidates. All of that is now in question amid this feud.

The president said that there could be serious consequences in an interview with NBC News if Musk chooses to donate and back Democratic candidates who run against Republicans who vote in favor of this bill. Separately, the president is also threatening to review some of Musk's businesses' federal contracts, that of course could have billions of dollars in impact.

Now, the president has told his staff to stay focused on this so- called big beautiful bill working its way through the Senate right now. He also told his vice president, J. D. Vance, to speak diplomatically when asked about the situation. And for his part, the president has been quite muted when asked about it himself. Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your view on Elon Musk as of today? I mean, are -- have you heard from him at all as your team --

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Honestly, I've been so busy working on China, working on Russia, working on Iran, working on so many. I'm not thinking about Elon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have any plans to speak with Mr. Musk? This was one of her closest advisers.

TRUMP: No, I don't have any plans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: And yet, this feud has spawned gossip across Washington and the West Wing with one former Trump aide saying that everyone is talking about it. And even though the president says he doesn't care, we have reported that the president is privately polling allies and advisers on whether they believe that some of Musk's behavior over the past few days has been impacted by his reported drug use. Of course, all of this comes at such a critical moment for the president's signature legislation that faces key deadlines coming up and very tight margins in Congress.

Betsy Klein, CNN traveling with the President in New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. When we come back, I'll speak with a former hostage negotiator about Israel's recovery of three hostages this week and what it means for a possible ceasefire deal. Stay with us.

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[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: The Israeli military claims they killed the leader of a Palestinian militant group that took part in the October 7th terror attacks. The Mujahideen Brigades confirmed Asaad Abu Sharia's death, along with his brother. An Israeli airstrike hit their family home in the Sabra area of Gaza City, according to the enclave's civil defense. Hamas run media reports that the strike killed at least 15 people and injured several others. Video shows people searching through the rubble and taking an immense damage. One resident told Reuters that they woke up to a tragedy.

A controversial U.S.-backed aid group in Gaza says it closed its distribution sites on Saturday, allegedly because of direct threats from Hamas. The group didn't give details about those threats. A Hamas official told Reuters that he had no knowledge of such alleged threats. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was contracted to deliver aid and food after an 11-week Israeli blockade of Gaza. But the group has been fiercely criticized by humanitarian organizations for an alleged lack of neutrality.

Protestors calling for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza gathered in several locations across Israel Saturday. They spoke out against the Israeli government for prolonging the war and held up photos of some of the 55 hostages that are still being held by Hamas. 20 are believed to be still alive.

Now, Israel says the body of the last Thai hostage was recovered from Gaza on Friday. Nattapon Pinta was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he had been working in agriculture to support his family in Thailand. Israel's defense minister said quote, "We will not rest until all the hostages living and deceased are returned home." The announcement comes just days after Israel recovered the bodies of two Israeli American hostages.

I want to bring in Gershon Baskin, who's a former hostage negotiator and the Middle East director at the International Communities Organization, and he joins us from Jerusalem. Good to see you again. So, the group that held all three of those just recently recovered there, it's one of the lesser-known factions, which was also accused of abducting the Bibas family. And as I mentioned a few minutes ago, the Israeli army announced that it had killed the commander of that group. What more can you tell us about the Palestinian Mujahideen Brigades?

GERSHON BASKIN, FORMER HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: Oh, no, there's nothing much to tell about them. They're one of the splinter groups there. One of the more radical groups there. The kind of groups that Hamas kept in place in order to join what they call the resistance against Israel. It's really not a significant group in any way. They are responsible apparently for the killing of the Bibas family, the mother Shri and the two young children, the (INAUDIBLE) kids who were killed, and they participated in the October 7th attacks. It's much more important to look at the bigger picture now and figure out how this war is going to end, how the hostage is going to come home, how a deal is going to be reached between the Israeli government and Hamas that's going to enable the beginning of reconstruction of Gaza, which is still far away from us as we're dealing with the humanitarian crisis that's there.

You spoke about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has started delivering aid to four different locations when 400 locations are needed to deliver aid to the more than 2.2 million people living there.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, certainly. So, many challenges here to deal with on so many different fronts. I want to go back to the hostages you mentioned, I mean, just the importance of getting them back the recovery of the Thai hostage. Now, the second operation we've seen after the bodies of the Israeli couple were recovered earlier this week, as I mentioned. Are we seeing a renewed push by the Israeli military to retrieve hostages dead or alive?

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BASKIN: Look, the Israeli government's position is that the military pressure will free hostages. So, far, the military pressure has only found dead bodies. There are at least 20 hostages still living and there have been Hamas threats that if the Israeli army approaches to the places where hostages are being kept, those hostages will be executed. A threat like that was issued last night with one of the most famous of the Israeli hostages, and this picture appeared in the Hamas Telegram pages.

This needs to be taken seriously. Israel has only retrieved hostages so far through a negotiated agreement. There was an agreement that was on the table, put into place after President Trump came into office, and Israel breached that agreement when it went back to the war right now. There needs to be serious American pressure on Israel and on Hamas to reach an agreement now, because the lives of these hostages are in danger, more and more innocent people are being killed in Gaza. This war has been going on for way, way too long.

And if there's a small chance that President Trump is listening to this, he knows that he is the only person in the world who can tell Prime Minister Netanyahu to make a deal and to do it now. That's the only way this war is going to end. And by the way, it will get Trump that Nobel Peace prize that he wants.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And we were just showing some pictures while you were talking thereof these large-scale protests that were demanding the Israeli government negotiate for the hostages' return. The families of hostages were echoing what you were saying, basically, just now that the expansion of the ground war comes possibly at the cost of the lives of all of the hostages. I mean, there's still plenty of back and forth between Hamas, the U.S., and Israel in terms of a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. Are we any closer do you think?

BASKIN: Well, look, there is a deal on the table and Hamas is willing to release all the hostages at one time, but they're demanding that the war come to an end and that Israel withdraw from Gaza. And this is something that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government refused to do. And this is why the intervention of President Trump is so important because Trump is the only person in the world that Netanyahu cannot say no to.

And this war will just go on because for Netanya and its government, it's a way of keeping his coalition in place and not breaking up. If there is a chance that the coalition could break up -- if a war, if a ceasefire is imposed on Israel, and that's why Netanyahu is continuing this war. It's not about defeating Hamas anymore. It's not about destroying Gaza anymore than it's been destroyed. There is no strategic need to continue this war.

The political question of who's going to govern Gaza afterwards is not going to be determined by the Israeli war machine. This has to be a Palestinian decision made with the Arab neighbors and everyone in the region to see that Gaza becomes a peaceful place where people can live and it can be rebuilt.

And this is essential. It needs to happen now. Every day that goes by is a risk to the lives of the hostages and of course to a lot of innocent Gazans.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. We'll have to leave it there, but appreciate getting your analysis of this. Guhan Baskin. Thank you so much.

BASKIN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Colombia's president is vowing to hunt down whoever was behind the shooting of a political rival. Presidential Hopeful and Senator Miguel Uribe was shot at a campaign event in Bogota on Saturday. He's reported to be in hospital in critical but stable condition. A suspected attacker has been arrested. CNN Contributor Stefano Pozzebon has more from Bogota, but we just want to warn you, his report does contain graphic content.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Shots fired aimed at the heart of Colombian democracy. Presidential Candidate and Senator Miguel Uribe shot while holding a rally in the capital, Bogota. Emergency Services intervening then a rush to the hospital. The presidential election is more than a year away, but the campaign is now tinted with blood. A return to the past to an era when bullets rather than ballots were the rule in Colombian politics.

SERGIO GUZMAN, POLITICAL ANALYST, COLOMBIA RISK ANALYSIS: It had been a couple of decades since any Colombian presidential candidate had been assassinated on the campaign trail, and Miguel Uribe's assassination attempt today reveals that we are going back in time significantly. The question now is how the different political factions react, the effect that this assassination attempt will have on the presidential race and the tone with which the president and the ruling party take this further? POZZEBON (voice-over): The grandson of a former president, Uribe's family was already touched by Colombia's history of violence. His mother (INAUDIBLE) journalist, Diana Turbay, was kidnapped and killed by narco traffickers in 1991.

[04:25:00]

Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, canceled a visit to France to attend the situation, calling for his countrymen to reject political violence.

GUSTAVO PETRO, PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA (through translator): Dr. Miguel Uribe is alive, and because of that, everything today is focused to fundamentally keeping him alive.

POZZEBON: And as the latest development, we understand that Colombian authorities have apprehended one person, a minor, just 15 years old in relation to the crime. He has been seen as the perpetrator of the attack and he was using a nine-millimeter handgun. Authorities are also offering a further $700,000 to anyone who is able to provide further information about the masterminds and the motives of this attack as the presidential candidate and senator, Miguel Uribe, is still fighting for his life here in Bogota.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Just ahead here on CNN Newsroom, the aftermath of the deadly strikes on Ukraine's second largest city, which took fire twice in a single day. We'll have a live report coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Let's get you up to speed on the breaking news we've been following all night. The clashes and arrests in Los Angeles this weekend over the ongoing immigration crackdown in the U.S. Some protestors continue to defy orders to disperse or risk being arrested. Late Saturday, the president authorized the deployment of some 2,000 National Guard troops, which will be under the control of the Northern Command. The defense secretary says active-duty Marines are on alert. Authorities say multiple people have been arrested in downtown Los Angeles.

[04:30:00]

Raul Reyes, an attorney and immigration analyst, also a short time ago that he has concerns about the president calling up the National Guard despite the wishes of the governor. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RAUL REYES, ATTORNEY AND IMMIGRATION ANALYST: What is very concerning to me in this situation, we have the president basically usurping the governor of California's authority, which is in a sense an expansion of executive power because Governor Newsom has said he does not want the president to activate the National Guard for these incidents. So, I'm concerned that the chain of command is being muddied. Also in the sense, we've seen back and forth between Los Angeles sheriffs and police and the feds about the timing of their responses, who should be responsible for certain actions.

And so, when you don't have clear cut leadership and line of command at the top, for me, that creates a tremendous -- I see it as creating a tremendous possibility for chaos, confusion, or once we bring in more armed officers potentially even worse and more tragic outcomes on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine and Russia are trading blame over a prisoner swap that failed to materialize. Moscow says it would've been the largest such exchange since the war began and would've included both prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers.

Now, that's happening as Ukraine's second largest city is reeling from back-to-back Russian strikes in a single day. The city's mayor says that the worst attacks on the Kharkiv since Russia launched its full- scale invasion. For more, Sebastian Shukla joins us now from Berlin. So, Sebastian, let's start there. Those huge attacks on the Khakiv, what's the latest?

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, those attacks that took place in Kharkiv yesterday, Kim, left four people dead and many people injured. And they were the result or appeared to be the culmination of two subsequent nights of attacks that took place across Ukraine that was Saturday night and then Friday night before it which was a pan Ukrainian attack, if I could put it like that, where we saw, 400 drones and 40 missiles launched by Moscow towards various different areas of Ukraine.

And it's widely believed now that that was in retaliation to what President Putin vowed that he would have to respond to those, quote, "terrorist attacks" that the Ukrainian security services launched last Sunday against those targets deep inside Russia and those targeting those various military bases, some of them thousands of miles away from the Ukrainian battlefields.

Since then, overnight, last night, what we've learned is that that 49 UAVs, so those are drones have been launched towards Ukraine, that's according to Ukraine's air force. But in retaliation, the Russian Ministry of Defense have also said that 61 UAVs have been launched towards Russia, all of them were intercepted. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. And then, Sebastian, the finger pointing surrounding the release of prisoners of war and the remains of fallen soldiers, what's the latest there? SHUKLA: Yes, that was a very confusing situation that took place yesterday. It was at an exchange point where the Russians and the Ukrainians agreed that there would be some form of prisoner exchange where the -- where it all came crashing down though, Kim, is that each side blamed each other for not upholding what was agreed in these talks in Istanbul last Monday.

And so, what we saw eventually -- ultimately was a sort of impasse in the end with both sides trading blames at each other. I want to read you some of the comments that came from each side. The Russians said that the Ukrainians had unexpectedly postponed the transfer of bodies and the exchange of prisoners for an indefinite period. The Ukrainians for their part though said, unfortunately, instead of constructive dialogue, we are again forced with manipulations to use sensitive humanitarian issues for informational purposes and we call on the Russian side to stop playing games.

At the moment, Kim, we haven't really got any other update on that prisoner swap. There has been almost complete silence since then. What we know though is that 6,000 Ukrainian bodies we're due to head towards that border, according to the Russians. We don't know whether they're still there. We don't know when they will be traded. We don't know what the Ukrainians were offering in return either. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Confusing situation. Sebastian Shukla, thanks so much. Well, after six months of political chaos, South Korea has chosen a new way forward. We'll look at what the latest election there means for the nation and the world. That's coming up. Please stay with us.

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[04:35:00]

BRUNHUBER: A turbulent period of South Korean politics came to a climax this past week with a sweeping victory for the centrist candidate, Lee Jae-myung. CNN's Mike Valerio has the latest on the election outcome and its implications.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): South Korea's new president, Lee Jae-myung, inheriting a tested nation and issuing a solemn vow, that a brush with authoritarianism in his country will never again.

Our team in Seoul witnessing the brief dark detour last December when Lee's predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, declared martial law, sending the military to intimidate and arrest opposition lawmakers. An accusation Yoon denies.

VALERIO: We're here in the crowd and there are two military vehicles that are trying to get out of here. We're just a few blocks away from the National Assembly.

VALERIO (voice-over): As democratic norms face growing challenges worldwide, Lee and his supporters say, South Korea is a bright spot. Members of South Korea's parliament literally fighting back, blocking troops from entering the National Assembly. Lee himself live streaming as he evaded the military, hopping a fence into parliament and later voting with others to cancel martial law.

It was a huge miscalculation for Yoon. Within six months, he was impeached, removed, and a new president elected.

LEE JAE-MYUNG, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is time to replace hatred and confrontation with coexistence, reconciliation, and solidarity.

VALERIO (voice-over): Lee won with 49 percent of the vote in part propelled by women. Major protests against Yoon's martial law saw huge numbers of women join. And Professor Cho Hee-kyoung helps us understand why.

[04:40:00]

CHO HEE-KYOUNG, LAW PROFESSOR, HONGIK UNIVERSITY: I think they really did feel that there were certain policies carried out by Yoon's government that was really unfair towards women and minorities in particular. And they wanted to stand up against it.

VALERIO: Such as?

HEE-KYOUNG: Such as the declaration to abolish the gender equality ministry. But there are also various other initiatives that were supposed to be helping single mothers.

VALERIO (voice-over): On the world stage analysts say Lee needs to show allies that South Korea's democracy is back.

KIM DUYEON, ADJUNCT SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY: America, other foreign partners, they will have an interest in how strong South Korea's democratic institutions are and democratic practices are because it all affects their relationship and especially the increasing competition between what we're seeing between authoritarian states and democratic states in the world.

VALERIO (voice-over): Lee will also need to avoid trade war fire and fury from U.S. President Donald Trump. It'll be up to Lee to decide what South Korea accepts as a Trump trade deal with the country's tech titans and auto giants, especially vulnerable to tariffs.

Lee and Trump have never met in person, but experts say they need to forge a working rapport as the U.S. station's nearly 30,000 troops in South Korea as a check against China and North Korea.

In a pivot from the last administration, Lee pledged to restart talks with North Korea and said the South Korean military is more than ready to confront any threat from the north, but retired General Chun In-bum urges caution.

GEN. CHUN IN-BUM (RET.), SOUTH KOREAN ARMY: 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.

VALERIO (voice-over): For now, South Korea is back from the brink. Lee charged with forging a new chapter resolved and a reset after martial law.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: I want to bring in John Delury, who's a senior fellow at Asia Society, and he joins us now live from Rome. Thank you so much for being here with us on this. So, we just heard about South Korea's dramatic recovery from that disastrous martial law declaration, now to this election victory. You describe this as ending a debilitating political vacuum. So, how significant is this moment for South Korea's democracy?

JOHN DELURY, SENIOR FELLOW, ASIA SOCIETY AND FORMER PROFESSOR, YONSEI UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, it's massive. It's really historic. You know, this last six months has been uncharted waters for modern democratic Korea. You have to go back to 1987, which is when the country threw essentially a peaceful revolution, established constitutional democracy and eventually civilian rules.

So, Koreans were just one night in December suddenly thrown back into their own past. It was a, almost a national trauma. And six months later, this is a very strong moment for the country to unite. It was a clear mandate for President Lee going forward, and I think the country as a whole rejected, you know, the politics of authoritarianism. So, it's a big moment for South Korea.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So, Lee has a number of challenges. Obviously one of them will be dealing with President Trump and the tariffs that have hit the, you know, two pillars of the South Korean economy, steels and cars.

DELURY: Yes, that's right. I mean, South Korea is facing and President Lee is facing a perilous future in terms of navigating economic issues. I mean, you can talk about it sector by sector, but it's really across the board. South Korea is extremely vulnerable to what we're seeing in terms of the tumult in the global economy. It's not only the 25 percent tariffs that Trump announced and then put on pause, but that pause is ending soon.

So, you've not only got the 25 percent tariffs, which obviously would be extremely painful for the South Korean economy, but also South Korea is one of the most exposed economies to U.S.-China relations. So, the Koreans and President Lee also have to monitor closely what happens between President Trump and President Xi because of how deeply intertwined South Korea is in U.S.-China relations. So, it's going to be a very difficult set of negotiations that his team is going to have to enter into with President Trump's team.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, a tough road there. Another huge challenge, North Korea. Now, you describe Lee and Trump as being well-suited as a pair to wrangle the North Korean dictator. But as our reporter noted, North Korea has grown stronger. So, how realistic is diplomatic progress given these new realities?

[04:45:00]

DELURY: Well, I am a bit more optimistic than many of my fellow North Korea experts, although I respect their views about how difficult it is going to be, that's definitely the case. To get Kim Jong-Un back to the table is going to be much harder this time than it was last time because of that relationship, alliance relationship that Kim Jong-Un has established with Vladimir Putin.

So, the bar is very high. It means that. President Lee is going to have to take the lead for one thing and pay attention to the issue in a way that I don't think Donald Trump is really focused on it. But secondly, President Lee and South Korea are going to have to swallow some bitter pills.

This time around, you can't put the focus front on denuclearization that really needs to take a back seat. That's number one. Secondly, President Lee is going to have to also sort of put on the back burner, the whole South Korean notion of reunification, because Kim Jong-Un has said, we're not interested in any kind of future reunification. And so, President Lee is going to have to meet that halfway.

And then the third one is sanctions cannot continue. The reliance on sanctions as sort of the only mechanism to deal with North Korea has to be reversed. So, it's going to take a lot. But if you look at the current trajectory, things just get worse and more dangerous year to year in terms of North Korean's weapons capability and also their provocative tests and the general dynamics in the region. So, it's going to be difficult diplomacy, but it's worth it when you look at the alternatives.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And we will see whether he'll be able to involve Donald Trump who's shown that he hasn't had much appetite for long, protracted, you know, international situations. He just wants that quick win, that easy deal. So, we'll see whether he'll be able to be involved in this with North Korea. John Delury, thank you so much for speaking with us. Really appreciate getting your insights.

DELURY: My pleasure. Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, showdown in the French Open's men final is just hours away. World number one, Jannick Sinner will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. We'll have a preview just ahead. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: There were brutal attacks during World Pride celebrations in Washington D.C. on Saturday. Two people were stabbed and another shot in separate incidents. They're all expected to be OK. The violence overshadowed events meant to support the LGBTQ community. But earlier in the day, the parade to mark the anniversary of World Pride drew thousands of people to the capitol. Julia Benbrook has details.

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JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the 50th anniversary of Pride Celebrations here in Washington, D.C. And according to the Capital Pride Alliance, when these festivities started taking place in 1975, they had a couple thousand people. And now, this event has grown into hundreds of thousands of people. On top of that, this year, this is world pride. So, organizers are hoping to reach even more people from more areas.

And as I spoke with attendees, there were a couple of themes that regularly came up, community, acceptance, respect. But many of the people I spoke with put an emphasis on wanting people who are visiting Washington specifically right now to feel those things.

TYLER WONG, PRIDE ATTENDEE: Obviously, D.C. is going through a very fraught time right now. There's a lot of conversation and discussion about pulling back DEI and talking about, you know, LGBTQ issues and other social issues. But seeing, having World Pride in D.C. and having people from all over the world come and celebrate and join this celebration is truly heart heartwarming and inspiring and it makes me feel confident that, you know, even though some things might be going on, the direction and the trends are still going to be steady.

BENBROOK: And this parade route ends near the White House. Earlier I spoke with a couple who traveled in from Dallas, Texas. They said that they made plans to come to World Pride here over a year ago before they knew who was going to win the election.

THOMAS DOAN, PRIDE ATTENDEE: We -- actually, after Trump won, we thought we were going to cancel. We weren't going to come. But then we thought, why let them win? You know, when we're here. You know, we're not going away. No matter what they do, no matter what they say, and we had to be here.

BENBROOK: Now, this parade is just one of the events taking place today. There was a block party, there are concerts, and this all continues through Sunday as well.

Julia Benbrook, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: The horse Sovereignty has now won two parts of the Triple Crown. He won the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Sovereignty also won last month's Kentucky Derby. On Saturday, the Colt vested second place Journalism by thundering past him in the stretch. Though this win gives Sovereignty victory in two legs of the Triple Crown. His team pulled out of the Preakness Stakes race last month. Journalism won that race and was the only horse to run all three legs of the Triple Crown.

Well, one more clash on the clay remains at Roland-Garros. World number one Jannik Sinner will face off against the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the men's final in Paris in a few hours. Sinner's path to the French Open final wasn't without drama and spectacle. On Friday, the Italian now stood 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

It's been 15 years since Djokovic, a three-time Roland-Garros champion in his own right, lost in straight sets in a major final, or a semi- final. Sinner is looking to capture his fourth grand slam title. While Alcaraz, who recently turned 22, will be vying for his fifth.

And on Saturday, American Coco Gauff claimed her second career Grand Slam singles title coming from behind to defeat world number one, Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling French Open women's final. CNN's Patrick Snell recaps all the action.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, what an absolute classic of a final. It was breathtaking entertainment at Roland-Garros on Saturday as top ranked Aryna Sabalenka and the USA's Coco Gauff went head-to- head. And it is the American player who's celebrating her second career Grand Slam singles title.

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Strong wins would be a factor throughout this contest in the French capital, but it would be Sabalenka seeking a fourth Grand Slam singles crown who began superbly to race into a 4-1 lead. But the American player knows a thing or two about winning on the Paris clay. Remember, she won the women's doubles title last year in Paris, and it was no surprise when she fights back to level the match shot for a piece.

Coco, then crucially breaking rival's serve to send this epic 80- minute first set to a tiebreaker with incredible passing shot there. Really terrific stuff from Gauff. And then, but that is when the Belarusian star really up to a game at five, all in that tiebreaker and then came the point that clinched it. Just brilliant composure and skill from Sabalenka as she takes the opener.

But Coco Gauff all fired up, and what a comeback in the second as she powers her way through it to level the match. Gauff winning it six games to two and we're headed to the decider. Sabalenka looked flustered in terms of her body language, despite winning that opening set, was in trouble again in the third as all the momentum swings Coco's way.

A vital moment here as the U.S. star gets the break of serve to go 4-3 up in the all-important deciding set. And from there, she would not look back. Coco Gauff wrapping up a famous victory, her second major singles title in one of the most incredible sensational major finals we have seen in a long, long time.

She can hardly believe it. Overcome with emotion there. Oh, what a moment for Coco Gauff. Our congratulations to her. Just sensational. What a comeback. And with that, I'm going to send it right back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: And that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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