Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Pope Leo Takes on AI in His First Encyclical Letter as Pontiff; Crews Find Crack in Chemical Tank at Risk of Explosion; Millions of Americans on the Road as Fuel Nears Record Highs; Iranian Delegation in Qatar as Trump Says Deal Close; Crack in California Chemical Tank May Reduce Explosion Risk. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired May 25, 2026 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this just in as the U.S. and Iran inch towards a possible deal. We've just learned two key Iranian
negotiators have arrived in Doha. We'll bring you the very latest as we know it. It is 09:00 a.m. in Washington, 04:00 p.m. in Qatar, and it is
05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi.
From our Middle East programming headquarters, I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching "Connect the World". Also coming up this hour, Pope Leo issues a
stark warning about the use of artificial intelligence in warfare. We're live in Rome at this hour. And thousands of people evacuated in California
-- teams work to secure a chemical storage tank, which is at risk of exploding.
How some major California landmarks could be affected. We begin with a new push to end the U.S.-Iran war. A diplomatic source tells CNN that Iran's
Chief Negotiator and its foreign minister have just arrived in Qatar for talks. Despite progress, no final agreement is in sight.
In the past few minutes, President Trump has posted that negotiations are quote proceeding nicely. He also said Muslim countries, including Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, should sign the Abraham Accords, an agreement to normalize relations with Israel. Earlier, America's top
diplomat, Marco Rubio, said the negotiations with Iran are a work in progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: So, we have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits,
get the straits open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters, and hopefully we can pull it off.
It has a lot of support in the Gulf, has a lot of support globally. Every country that we've walked through it understands it's not just very
reasonable, but it's the right thing for the world to get done. As the president said, he's not in a hurry, he's not going to make a bad deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The Iranian Foreign Ministry said, and I quote, here, a degree of understanding has been reached with the United States, but it insists that
a final agreement is not imminent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large part of the issues under
discussion. However, no one can make such a claim to say that this means the imminent signing of an agreement, because politics and decision making
in the United States are experiencing a kind of institutionalized instability and are caught in such a situation.
We are witnessing frequent changes in positions that within a few hours you will encounter different and, in many cases, contradictory views.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv with the very latest developments. Let's start with what we do know, and then perhaps what we don't know at
this point. The Iranian delegation has arrived in Doha in Qatar in the past couple of hours. So, what is our understanding of where things are at this
point, Jeremy?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, well, this Iranian delegation that has arrived in Qatar includes the key players who would be
needed in order to push this agreement to the final stages, beyond, except of course, for the supreme leader, who we know is basically in hiding
inside of Iran.
But Mohammad Ghalibaf, the key lead negotiator for Iran, as well as Iran's Foreign Minister, arrived in the Qatari capital alongside the Governor of
Iran's Central Bank in order to discuss a number of issues. One regional diplomat telling us that the Strait of Hormuz and highly enriched uranium
is on the table for these discussions.
And the presence of the central bank governor also indicates that there will be discussions about unlocking some of those billions of dollars in
frozen Iranian funds, which is key for the Iranian side of this agreement, but what we have seen over the past 48 hours is that, despite the fact that
there is clearly enormous momentum, many parties describing this deal as basically 95 percent done, or so.
There are still some key disagreements, and we have to kind of parse through them, whether it is a matter of interpretation, a matter of how
they each side wants to sell this deal to their domestic audiences, but also the very real possibility, and indeed the reality that some of these
differences are over wording that could, you know, eventually either make or break this potential agreement.
[09:05:00]
It's everything from the Strait of Hormuz. Will it be fully open? Will it be under Iranian control? Questions about whether Iran has or has not made
any commitments in the future about limiting its nuclear programs. The Iranians denying that, even as the United States say quietly, some promises
have been made.
Then there's this issue of the frozen assets, will they be unlocked at the very beginning of this deal, only once the Strait of Hormuz is open, and
those are just a few of many different issues that for which there are clearly still disagreements that are playing out in public, and also very
much right now in the Qatari capital, Becky.
ANDERSON: Donald Trump posting in the past hour that he is mandating other countries in the Middle East and further afield, including Pakistan, to
sign up to the Abraham Accords, a sort of part of this deal. Now I can tell you, you know, and our viewers that I speak to sources around this region
all the time, as you do.
Certainly, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is absolutely steadfast about where it stands. It has a position that it's had for some time, an irreversible
pathway to a Palestinian state, is what you will hear from the Saudis time and again. I speak to other sources around this region who say this sort of
new post from Donald Trump is basically the U.S. President speaking to Israel and the lobby in the United States.
What is your sense of what is going on here? And why it is that we see that introduction of the Abraham Accords as part of the narrative here today?
DIAMOND: Yeah, I mean, as if the last few yards of getting this deal over the line weren't already complex and delicate enough. President Trump is
now throwing this additional layer of complexity into the mix, suggesting that these countries that have been working furiously over the last several
days and weeks to try and extend and ultimately end not only extend the ceasefire but end the war between the United States and Iran.
President Trump now saying that they should immediately be signing on to the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with Israel. He singles out, in
particular, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. And the president, the wording here is quite interesting. He says, I am quote mandatorily requesting that all
countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords.
And he is suggesting that if they don't sign these Abraham Accords, then he doesn't want them to be part of this Iran deal. But I think you are right,
Becky, to point to the potential audience that President Trump is actually playing to with this social media post, because either he's speaking to
this audience in Israel to try and offer a carrot to the Israeli Prime Minister.
Perhaps, who has been criticized and frankly mocked in some ways in Israel over the fact that he has completely lost control of this war with Iran,
that he is on the sidelines as President Trump is making all these decisions. And also, to try and mollify some of the skepticism and the
criticism that President Trump has faced from some of his Republican allies back in Washington.
If it is not that, then it suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of the region by the President of the United States and a misunderstanding of the
dynamics at play. These countries have been working to reach this agreement because it is in their interests, of course, but also because it is very
much in the United States' interest.
And President Trump has made clear time and again that he does not want to return to war with Iran. He is facing immense domestic political pressures
as well. And so that president --notion that President Trump would walk away from that because these countries won't sign the Abraham Accords just
doesn't jive with reality.
And again, as you know very well, Becky, there is no indication that Saudi Arabia or Qatar would sign on to the Abraham Accords, and normalize
relations with Israel without a viable path to a Palestinian state, something that this Israeli government is simply not going to be willing to
do right now.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and it's mandatorily requesting, as you rightly pointed out, a rather sort of odd framing from the U.S. President. I do just want
to close this out by quoting Danny Citrinowicz, who is an Israel Intelligence Expert. He posted this earlier on. At some point, Israeli
policy makers and the public alike will have to confront a basic fact: normalization with the Arab world, especially with Saudi Arabia, will
almost certainly require meaningful movement on the Palestinian track.
Not symbolic gestures, but substantive political steps. And to your point, we simply aren't hearing those substantives steps from this Israeli
government or indeed from the opposition who may or may not gain some traction or win in the election later on this year, correct?
[09:10:00]
DIAMOND: Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, the leading candidates, at least to who were, are opposing Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, who has now
formed a new party with Yair Lapid, the kind of center, you know, right wing and the center left kind of joining together to try and defeat
Netanyahu.
Their government is already refusing, for example, to sit with Arab parties in the Knesset, and they have offered no indication that their position on
a Palestinian state would be any different than the Israeli Prime Ministers. Obviously, there are differences as it relates to Israeli
settlements, settler violence, those types of things.
But in terms of, you know, meaningful steps towards a Palestinian state, no kind of viable political leader in Israel right now is putting forth that
position, and that's largely because that's not where the Israeli public sentiment is right now.
ANDERSON: Jeremy, it's good to have you. Thank you. Look ahead of Donald Trump's recent posts, which included this line about the Abraham Accords,
CNN's Betsy Klein filed this report from the White House with more on what an agreement between the U.S. and Iran might look like.
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Lot of activity over the weekend, President Trump working the phones with golf leaders, and we are
learning that the U.S. and Iran are getting closer toward an agreement to ultimately finalize what could be a deal to end this war.
So, what that means is they are working toward a deal to make a deal. Now, both sides are working toward a memorandum of understanding, that is going
to be a road map that will start a clock toward -- working toward those very thorny issues that remain. There's so much still that we don't know
about what's in this, but let's lay out what we do.
It would make progress toward reopening that critical oil thoroughfare, the Strait of Hormuz. It would gradually end the U.S. blockade on Iranian
ports. There would be a commitment by Iran to not pursue a nuclear weapon. It will set a 60-day clock to reach some of those final points, including
what Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described as quote, a real significant time-limited negotiation on nuclear matters.
Now that we've heard from the president repeatedly saying that he is not in a rush to make a deal. He is also preemptively trying to dispel comparisons
to the Obama era Iran deal. Look at this post from this morning on social media. The president saying, quote, I laugh at all of the Democrats, RINOs,
and fools who know nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran, things that haven't even been negotiated yet.
He goes on to say the deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one or there will be no deal. It will be the exact opposite of the JCPOA
disaster negotiated by the failed Obama Administration, which was a direct and open path to a nuclear weapon for Iran. No, I don't do deals like that.
ANDERSON: Betsy Klein reporting for you. And more as we move through the next couple of hours. Well, Pope Leo the 14th has just released a landmark
encyclical focused on protecting humanity from the dangers surrounding artificial intelligence. Now, in his document, he warns that AI must not be
controlled by a few and should face the most rigorous ethical constraints, especially in warfare.
Well, the pope says AI must protect human dignity, jobs, and social justice, while calling for stronger legal and independent oversight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: Artificial intelligence already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human
coexistence. It is also dramatically changing how war is waged. Like the earlier Leo, I feel entrusted to look upon another huge transformation with
eyes of faith, with lucidity of reason with openness to mystery, and with cries of the poor and the earth resounding in my heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, breaking with tradition, Pope Leo personally unveiling his papal encyclical earlier today, appearing with other Catholic leaders, and
Chris Olah, who is the founder of the AI company Anthropic. Now CNN's Christopher Lamb following this story for us from Rome, and joining me now.
Firstly, tell us why the pope has chosen this issue, and why now.
[09:15:00]
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, been concerned about the development of AI. I really, since the beginning of his
pontificate, and he does believe that the church has a role to play in essentially trying to offer a more ethical development of this technology
and to offer some theological input.
The pope saying that he says the Church is not offering scientific or technical solutions, but says it has some wisdom to offer in the
development of this very important technology, which is changing everyone's lives. And I spoke to Chris Olah earlier after the presentation.
He said that he welcomes the pope's intervention, because the development of AI is not just a scientific question. It's also one that raises big
theological and philosophical ones. And so, I think that's why Pope Leo really fills the need to intervene in this debate, and not just to be a
voice on the sidelines, but to try and really shape how AI is developed, hence him having the AI co-founder of Anthropic, Chris Olah, on the
platform with him.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and it's interesting that he had the co-founder of the AI company Anthropic, of course, they've been sort of at odds with the U.S.
Department of Defense about what they would allow their software, particularly Claude, to do when it comes to warfare.
These papal encyclicals, Chris, as I understand it, are seen as strong indicators of priority issues for popes. We know that the Former Pope
Francis issued his first more than a decade ago on the topic of climate change, saying, quote, what kind of world do we want to leave to those who
come after us, to children who are now growing up?
The question not only concerns the environment in isolation; the issue cannot be approached piecemeal. It does seem that these popes see these
letters as a way of trying to influence not just Catholics but policy makers as well. Just how consequential are they, or could they be?
LAMB: Yes, that's right. The popes, Pope Leo and Pope Francis, both trying to influence politicians and policy makers. Pope Francis, when he issued
his encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si did so just before the Paris Cop Summit, and he did that deliberately, because he wanted to try and
influence and move the debate in a certain direction.
Pope Leo, as well, is trying to have that sway over the discussion on AI. And both these questions, AI and the environment, both technical scientific
topics. And of course, in the past, the Catholic Church has not always had a happy relationship with science, but actually, what this is showing in
the pope's encyclical on AI, and, of course, Pope Francis's document on environment.
That there is a role for the Church to play when it comes to these big questions, even though they are scientific ones, because the question of AI
is something that is not just a technical one, it is pushing questions around the fundamental point of humanity. How do you protect what is
distinctly human?
So, I think Leo, who is quite a tech-savvy person and is a trained mathematician to study mathematics, is someone who wants to engage in these
topics, in these debates.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's fascinating. It's always good to have you, Chris. Thank you very much indeed. Chris Lamb is in Rome. And ahead on this show,
I want to speak to an expert on human-centered AI about what Pope Leo's message today means, that is in about 15 minutes time.
Well, ahead as well on this show "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. Evacuation ongoing in California for tens of thousands of
residents' crew attempt to prevent a chemical leak or a chemical tank leaking or exploding.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:20:00]
ANDERSON: To California, where crews have been working overnight to determine whether a crack in an overheating chemical tank is relieving
pressure. The aim is to prevent the tank from triggering an explosion. Chemicals inside the tank can cause health issues upon exposure.
Evacuation orders are in place for roughly 50,000 people in California. The interim fire chief spoke to CNN about the surrounding air quality and the
threats of a leak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TJ MCGOVERN, INTERIM FIRE CHIEF AT ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: We're continuously monitoring the air, and those are all coming back within
normal limits. So, right now, we do not have a leak. There is absolutely no leak right now. Initial, when the incident happened, it did off gas through
the relief valve like it was supposed to do, but right now there is no leak.
We just saw a crack on the top, we evaluated it, vetted it, and now we just have to make sure that that crack went all the way through for the relief.
But right now, there is no danger, there is no leak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Veronica Miracle joining us from the City of Cyprus, California. So, where is this tank? What is its condition at this point,
and what's the latest that you are hearing from authorities there?
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we are, you know, the sun is just coming up here, and we are waiting to hear how this all-night
mission went for first responders, where they went in into to the tank area, which is really in a concentrated area.
There's a lot of schools in the area, there's homes, and so they went in to see exactly if this crack was relieving, is relieving pressure from inside
the tank now, if it hasn't been relieving pressure, that's really bad news, because we understand at last check the temperature gage maxed out at 100
degrees.
This chemical, MMA, this toxic chemical prefers to sit at 50 degrees, so if the pressure has not been relieved, it's really a road map to the worst-
case scenario of a catastrophic explosion, which would decimate some buildings in the area. It would also send 7000 gallons of this toxic
chemical into the air.
So, that's of course the worst-case scenario. It's not what authorities want to happen, but it is still a possibility. If pressure has been
relieved from inside the tank, then potentially the evacuation zone could actually shrink some of the 50,000 people that have been forced out of
their homes could potentially return home.
Of course, evacuees are very concerned, and it's a holiday weekend here in the United States, Memorial Day. And so, a lot of hotels in the area
actually have been booked up, and it's been a really difficult time for so many, Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you. Well, in the U.S., still no relief from gasoline prices, but it is not deterring Americans from hitting
the highways this holiday weekend. It is the Memorial Day weekend, of course. U.S. national average for a gallon sits at around $4.50 marking the
most expensive Memorial Day in four years.
AAA estimates a record-breaking 45 million people are on the move, most of it on the roads. CNN's Ryan Young reports from Atlanta.
[09:25:00]
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: 39 million Americans will hit the road in the course dads and drivers all across this country will be
thinking about the idea of having to hit the road and spend the money for gas. Just take it this way, this car alone takes about $110 to fill up.
And that's what Americans will be having to decide all across this country as they do their budget. Look, a family of four traveling. What we've
noticed here is that across the country they're going to have to be making budget decisions. We actually talked to a business owner just in the last
hour or so, who was telling us he thought this weekend in particular was going to be strong for business, but that's not been the case.
A lot of people have been traveling different locations. Orlando is one of the top destinations for people in terms of travel. We've seen that with
rental cars, so that's just part of the process here. This gas station, unleaded, is about $4 a gallon. So, you understand the pricing, and people
come here to quick trips across the country, and they want to make sure that when they come in, what's going on guys, how you doing, they want to
make sure that when they're here, they're shopping and thinking about what they're going to spend.
So, the average family is going to spend over two to $400 a day when it comes to travel across this country. You talk about the air flights, we
know 2 million people are going to pass through Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport just this weekend alone. When you add the fact that
so many people on the road, that's higher than last year, and that's one of the things that was surprising.
Even with gas prices being high, there's a pent-up demand for people to be able to travel the summer.
ANDERSON: Right, Ryan reporting there from Atlanta. Still to come, Pope Leo warning the world about AI. We'll look at his call for ethical limits on
artificial intelligence in warfare and what it can mean for the battlefield of the future.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back, I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching "Connect the World". These year headlines this hour. Mr. Trump says a deal
with Iran is close, but a framework agreement has still not been reached. Iran's Chief Negotiator and foreign minister are in Qatar for more talks,
according to a diplomatic source.
Among the key issues to resolve are the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. Well crews in Southern California are racing to stop a tank
containing a toxic chemical from leaking or causing a disastrous explosion. A small crack has now been found, and that could be relieving pressure,
authorities say.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the area due to the current risk. Well fuel prices soaring Americans still hitting the roads
and skies this Memorial Day weekend. AAA estimates a record 45 million travelers.
[09:30:00]
39 of those, 39 million of those taking their cars, another 3.7 million in the skies, the remainder on busses, trains and cruises. National average
for gasoline about $4.50 a gallon. Pope Leo is calling for strict ethical limits on artificial intelligence in his first major theological document.
The pontiff says control of the technology must not remain in the hands of a few. And in his landmark document, Leo argues AI is already reshaping
conflict. He is calling for strict ethical limits on its use in warfare. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEO: Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed. The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of
attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, he says AI is not morally neutral, and the decisions built into these systems could have real human consequences. Well, Marietje
Schaake, who has -- is the International Policy Director at Stanford University's Cyber Policy Center. She joins us live from Harlem in the
Netherlands.
It's good to have you. Thank you. We just heard from the pope, they're saying that AI needs to be disarmed. Obviously, he's referring to its ever-
increasing use in warfare. I do wonder whether he's a little late to the party with this, and whether the train hasn't already left the station.
MARIETJE SCHAAKE, INTERNATIONAL POLICY DIRECTOR AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY CYBER POLICY CENTER: Well, I mean, yes, a lot of developments have raced
ahead, especially between a handful of big players, companies, countries that are, you know, risking a race to the bottom in their eagerness to
think about their own pole position instead of thinking about people all around the world.
And I think in that sense the voice of the pope here coming from a moral leadership perspective, putting people at the heart of the consideration,
not billionaires, not technology, not state power, is crucial.
ANDERSON: It's interesting that you say you know that he doesn't want the kind of Big Tech sort of owning this and controlling this. He's making a
point of working with experts from the industry, including one of the biggest Anthropic, the CEO, Chris Olah, at the Vatican today. Have a listen
to some of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS OLAH, COFOUNDER OF ANTHROPIC: Some might believe that matters of AI are best handled by computer scientists like myself, they are mistaken. The
questions raised by AI are bigger than the AI research community, not just in their implications, but also in their nature.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I wonder, what some of the essential questions that he's referring to there are in your experience?
SCHAAKE: Well, I can't speak for anyone representing an AI company, but just from my own point of view, when you look at the implications of AI.
There are so many trade-offs to be made, you know, impacting civil liberties, like the right to privacy or non-discrimination, press freedom,
access to information against notions of national security, where income is going to be generated, and who stands to benefit from that income
generation.
We have a whole lot of concern on the part of creators, people in the cultural sector, but think also about communities that are less well
represented than you know, the majority of voices and faces that data sets are trained on to develop AI models. So, I think you know a lot of the core
trade-offs impact society writ large.
Therefore, I always make the case for regulation and a rule of law-based approach that binds the abuse of power by government, but also by tech
companies. And you know it's right for Chris to point to the fact that computer scientists, corporate actors, single governments cannot make these
decisions on their own.
It's really important that the representation of people in the widest sense is feeding into these decisions, and so that's how I hear his remarks.
ANDERSON: And let's remind ourselves that the Department of Defense requested unrestricted access to Anthropic's AI models for what they
described as sort of any purpose, Anthropic declining, seeking guarantees that their technology would not be used in autonomous weapons or for
domestic mass surveillance.
[09:35:00]
So, I'm just reminding our viewers, because that sets the context for why perhaps the CEO of Anthropic was there at the Vatican today. It appears at
least that he and the pope seem to share the same sort of narrative here. In your opinion, does AI have any place in warfare, and if so, how should
it, or could it be used effectively and humanely.
SCHAAKE: I think the core is that when AI or other technologies are used, when states engage in conflict, that they do so on the basis of a mandate
that comes from the people, and also on the basis of accountability that comes from the people. And I think the real risk that AI-empowered warfare
and even cyber war writ large holds is that it happens in secret, without a mandate, without accountability, without any kind of sense of, you know,
what we can learn, what kind of decisions were made.
I mean, look at the genocide in Gaza. And the fact that the promises that AI will lead to more precise bombardments and attacks, but if you look at
the massive number of civilian casualties, those stories on the ground tell a different reality. And so, I think it's important that we have
independent verification of where AI can help save lives, be more precise, inform decisions.
But to always stay with this public mandate and public accountability, because warfare is ultimately a decision by people and should never be
outsourced for private or other kinds of interests that really, you know, erode the basis for which we have international law in the first place.
ANDERSON: It's interesting, isn't it? It's good to have you on. Thank you very much indeed for your insight.
SCHAAKE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Well, next up in our K-Everything series, we explore Korean beauty and a unique source of K-Beauty. It's an ingredient. I'll just tease
you with that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, this week we're exploring global rise of K-Beauty as part of K-Everything, a CNN original series with Daniel Dae Kim. South Korea, of
course, has become a global beauty hub. Thanks to the rapid innovation and advanced technology in the sector.
Today, Daniel Dae Kim goes to find the source of one of K-Beauty's most unique ingredients. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GINA SHIN, DANIELS FRIEND: Are we going --
DANIEL DAE KIM, HOST OF K-EVERYTHING: I don't know, but wherever we're going, I want to be wearing this hat.
SHIN: Oh.
KIM: I have to say it's one of the cleanest factories I've ever seen.
[09:40:00]
In Korea, you're the first person to discover this.
PARK SUNG-MIN, CEO OF COSEED BIOPHARM: We were the first to develop it in Korea. Researches like us developing cosmetics have a habit of applying
almost anything on our skin.
KIM: Can we see?
SUNG-MIN: Yes, you can see.
KIM: Oh, wow. Hi guys, it's just a lot of it.
SUNG-MIN: They're gentle and they don't bite. It's fine.
SHIN: Go ahead, Daniel.
KIM (voice-over): My friend Gina Shin and I are at a company called CoSeed Biopharm with CEO Park Sung-Min. It produces one of K-Beauty's most iconic
ingredients, snail slime, also known as mucin.
KIM: It's cold. Try touching it. He likes me.
SUNG-MIN: As the days pass, day one, day two and three passes, the water [they drink] turns into mucin.
KIM (voice-over): Much of Korea's snail mucin is from this company used in products like serums and face masks.
KIM: That we see inside.
KIM (voice-over): Which help hydrate skin and stimulate collagen production.
KIM: All right, I'm going in.
KIM (voice-over): The mucin is mixed, filtered, and sterilized. Then ready for the market.
SUNG-MIN: We export to 21 countries.
KIM: I can't tell the difference between this and water.
SHIN: Yeah, it looks like water.
KIM: I bet you could have a health spa with a mucin bath.
SHIN: Why don't you make one?
KIM: No, seriously, like if you had a tub full of this, or even just a mucin dip, like one body dip, right?
SHIN: Like cold plunge.
KIM: Yeah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Love it. You can stream the full series in U.S. on the CNN app and globally on HBO Max. Next up, "World Sport". I'll be back in 15
minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
