Return to Transcripts main page
NEWS STREAM
Breakthroughs Emerge From North-South Korea Meeting; North Korean Says It Will Send Delegation To Olympics; U.S. President Takes Credit For Korean Talks; North Korean Ice Skaters Become Barometer For Peace; Dangerous Rescue Operation After Tanker Collision. Aired At 8-9a ET
Aired January 09, 2018 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: I`m Kristie Lu Stout Seoul, South Korea, and welcome to News Stream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Iconic moments, representatives from North and South Korea are in the same room talking for the first time in two years.
And they agreed to get these North Korean athletes to South Korea for the Winter Games in a month. And we are told, both sides plan to reopen a
military hotline across the Korean Peninsula.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: You are watching a special edition of News Stream. We are live from Seoul with the breakthrough emerging from face-to-face talks between
North and South Korea inside the demilitarized zone.
North and South Korea had just released a joint statement talking about some of the developments coming out of the meeting. North Korea has agreed
to send delegations to next month`s Winter Games in South Korea.
Inter-Korean military talks will be held as well to further ease tensions but planning to increased contact and cooperation crucially prevents an
accidental conflict.
And South Korean negotiators have suggested organizing reunification -- reunions for families separated during the Korean War. Now earlier, I spoke
to Moon Chung-in. He is a special advisor to the South Korean president about the progress being made in these talks with North Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOON CHUNG-IN, SPECIAL ADVISOR TO SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT: He should be very happy. It is more than what he anticipated. North Korean really comes
proactively cooperative with South Korea. That is amazingly because of the said event.
LU STOUT: A lot of progress has been made. North Korea will be attending the Winter Games in Pyeongchang. One month from now, should North Korea go
to the games?
You know, North Korea has defied the world with its relentless weapons testing. Does it deserved to participate in the Olympics?
CHUNG-IN: Yes. We should. You know, in dealing with North Korea, it is very important for us to adopt positive reinforcement, not to tend negative
reinforcement.
But inviting North Korea to become to the Olympic, and letting them show North Korea is a normal state to the world, that would be great credit to
North Korea. And that I would say, that will make North Korea more normal than before.
LU STOUT: But North Korea is not a normal state. It is a pariah nation. It has committed gross human rights abuses. Again, it has defied the world and
U.N. resolutions with weapons tests. Is it sending the right message to say, yes, North Korea, we invite you.
CHUNG-IN: It is a very important and critical being, and you can achieving in the denuclearization -- you know, some might have improvements and
democracy North Korea, and removal of weapons ministries to such as biochemical weapons.
You cannot achieve all of those things at once. But if North Korea gets a good treatment and comes at the Olympics -- if gets one treatment and comes
at the Olympics, I would say they will begin to change the North Korean behavior.
LU STOUT: And now we are hearing that South Korean officials are willing to lift temporarily sanctions on North Korea to allow the North Korean
delegation to go to Pyeongchang. Why do that when you risk enraging a lot of people and particular, the U.S.?
CHUNG-IN: We will be in close, you know, consultation with the United States.
LU STOUT: OK.
CHUNG-IN: We would then make any move that goes beyond, you know, American opposition or whatever. Therefore, there will be very close coordination
and cooperation between Seoul and Washington. If I don`t worry about it -- and it was the President Trump who said go ahead...
LU STOUT: Yes.
CHUNG-IN: ... with the inter-Korean talks. We have a blessing from him.
LU STOUT: That`s right. And he also has claimed credit for the talks. What does South Korea...
(CROSSTALK)
CHUNG-IN: I think he deserves credit, you know.
LU STOUT: He deserves credit. It is that tough talk brought us to this moment.
CHUNG-IN: I think so, because he corrupted -- I mean, the channel communication between Seoul and Washington. There`s no other choice but to
come to so. That was very smart move. Then North Korea will come to South Korea and through South Korea, North Korea will go to Washington -- will go
to Washington.
LU STOUT: And what next? So after these inter-Korean talks, can it translate into ultimately peace in the Korean Peninsula?
CHUNG-IN: One of the most important in the clue, his temporary suspension of advocate U.S. joint military exercise and training.
LU STOUT: During the Winter Games.
[08:05:00] CHUNG-IN: Authoritarian in a pool, we might -- we do joint military exercise in a pool. And so we may continue joint military training
follow eager in May.
That seems maybe, may change. But we have got to remember, in 1992 then President Bush suspended Team Spirit in order to persuade North Korea to
accept nuclear inspection by International Atomic Energy Agency.
And President Clinton suspended Team Spirit three times, `94, `95, `96 in order to facilitate (Inaudible). Like what the United States has shown the
kind of flexible attitude to North Korea and some people say that the old, repeat of same old mistakes.
No, I think so. Therefore, we need to be more flexible in dealing with North Korea and we will be able to make some tangible progress.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And that was South Korean presidential adviser Moon Chung-in speaking to me earlier. Now the North`s announcement that it will take part
in the Winter Games is a huge PR win for Pyongyang. It could keep the games safe from any attack from Kim Jon-un. Here is Paula Hancocks with more on
how we got here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The youth soccer tournament in China last year -- the only venue when North and South Korea were talking
according to Choi Moon-soon, the governor of Gangwon Province where the Winter Olympics will be held.
Standing here next to North Korean sports official Mun Ung, he said he tried three times over three years to lobby for North Korean involvement at
Pyeongchang. Last month he says the attitude had changed and they started listening.
GOV. CHOI MOON-SOON, GANGWON PROVINCE (through a translator): This huge soccer exchange, he says, was the first cooperation between North and South
Korea since the current administration. The time that was it established is sign the relationship between North and South has improved a lot.
HANCOCKS: As talks started at the border village of Panmunjom, Governor Choi knows the devil is in the detail. At the Sydney Olympics, one argument
centered around the size of the cheering squad. But even before anything is decided, Choi, has been making plans.
MOON-SOON (through a translator): There are three different ways for North Korea to come to here, he says, by cruise ship, by land over Mount Kumgang
and by plane. If they come on our cruise ship, issues like accommodation are also resolved.
Choi`s confidence helping the North Korean delegation to come to the games and putting them up will not violate sanctions passed against North Korea`s
nuclear and missile program as he said sporting events are not included in the restrictions.
Two North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik have qualified for the games but missed the deadline for registration. The IOC makes them
wildcard to allow them to participate.
Choi wants them to form a joint North-South Korean team. A ratio of unity between two neighbors still technically at war. North and South Korea
marched together at the opening ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympics under a flag showing an undivided Korean Peninsula.
After who could come to the Olympics, speculation is rife Kim Jong-un could send his sister, Kim Yo-jong. Choi would like U.S. President Donald Trump
to come but is happy it may be his daughter Ivanka. The names have not yet been confirmed.
MOON-SOON (through a translator): I`m really hoping that Ivanka and Kim Jong-un`s sister meet at the Olympics, he says. It`s our hope that this can
be the starting point for dialogue for North Korea and the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And that was CNN`s Paula Hancocks, reporting. Now the world is closely watching the developments coming out of the meetings. Japan, China
and Russia have all welcomed the talks.
CNN`s Will Ripley is standing on the unification bridge near the military demarcation line on the border between the North and the South. He joins us
now live.
And, Will, North Korea is going to games in Pyeongchang, months from now. But that is only one of many breakthroughs to come out of today`s talks.
Walk us through what has been achieved.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It`s really been a remarkable day, Kristie, who were have thought 24 hours ago that in the span of just a matter of
hours that all of these agreements would be reached.
North Korea sending a high-level delegation to the Olympics, these are athletes, a taekwondo squad, a cheering squad, you have in arch troop that
will becoming along with various high-level officials who will be coming to Pyeongchang.
They will be arriving all expenses paid on this trip, possibly South Korea willing to list some of the sanctions to allow North Korea, for example
bring a ship with his delegation and to the dock it at a South Korean port, something that is currently forbidden.
In the short term, definitely a win for South Korea`s President Moon Jae-in who campaign at a promise of engaging with North Korea.
And South Korean officials who desperately wanted North Korean participation in the Olympics to try to avoid the kind of a provocative act
such as a missile test or a nuclear test that could disrupt the games, potentially spooks spectators.
Now they can truly call this and brand this, the piece Olympics. Something a lot of South Koreans were pretty skeptical about especially after the
last year that we saw with 23 missiles launched in 16 different tests -- North Korea`s most powerful nuclear test ever.
[08:10:06] And from Kim Jong-un`s perspective, he gets to send his delegation here to the games and he gets to point to the fact that he gets
to point to the fact that -- I`ve completely lost my translate, Kristie.
Sorry, let me read -- it`s been a long day. He gets to point to the fact that the U.S. and South Korea agreed to postpone their joint military
drills. That`s what I was trying to say. They agree to postpone their joint military exercises until after the games in Pyeongchang.
Additionally, the announcement that was just made of matter minutes ago, that talks will be happening sometime in the near future about easing
military tensions on the Peninsula.
This is certainly a significant development because it has been very tense times and the relations have been extraordinarily icy -- almost as icy and
cold as the weather that we`re seeing here right now.
But one word of cautious optimism is in order because the fact remains that North Korean`s chief negotiator, when they issued a joint statement, he
also expressed his strong discontent with the fact that South Korea even mention the topic of denuclearization in the upcoming talks.
North Korea really has been digging in their heels on this nuclear issue saying that their nuclear weapons are not up for discussion. That was a
stance that was reiterated today.
And of course the nuclear issue is the reason for the economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation that North Korea would like to see listed
eventually. So, short-term, a win for all sides but really it`s important to watch what happens after the Winter Games are over.
Will there be more productive discussions that can lead to a breakthrough or will things as we have seen so many times in the past deteriorate and we
see -- get the situation right back to square one, and perhaps even escalating even further.
LU STOUT: Will Ripley, reporting live from the scene of these talks, and very icy. This is subzero temperatures. We really appreciate your reporting
all throughout this day. The day of breakthroughs but also, we have to keep a close eye just to follow how North Korea will follow through.
Now as these Korea talks continue, U.S. President Donald Trump`s focus will be at home today in Washington. He`ll be hosting lawmakers from both
parties of the White House to discuss the fate of DACA.
If no deal is reached here, the government could shutdown in a matter of days. Let`s get the very latest from CNN`s Joe Johns. He joins us now live
from the White House.
And, Joe, of course for my position here in South Korea, waiting to hear any reaction from Trump to these North and South Korea talks that wrapped
up on just few hours ago. We know that he has claimed credit for the talks taking place. You know, safe to say he`s pleased with the progress made
today.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No word from the White House at least so for about the latest developments but we do know the president has, as you
said, taking credit for a lot of this going forward.
He credits his tough stance on North Korea and getting these parties together. He had also expressed optimism that the talks that started out
dealing with issues relating to the Olympics would expand to broader issues, and apparently, that is what is happening.
So it`s clear, the White House will be gratified with these developments because the president said as much over the weekend at Camp David, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Got it. And a busy schedule today for the president of the United States meeting with lawmakers for a deal to protect the DREAMers -- what
should we expect?
JOHNS: A very extraordinary and quite frankly, here at the White House, a very dramatic developments as members of Congress from both sides of the
Capitol, from both parties are coming here to sit down with the president to talk about immigration hanging in the balance or hundreds of thousands
of young people who came here to the United States through no fault of their own. Of course in the middle of all this is the question of a
potential government shutdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want the wall. The wall`s going to happen or we`re not going to have DACA.
JOHNS: President Trump insisting that funding for a border wall will be part of any deal to protect the so-called DREAMers, a demand that threatens
to upend negotiations over the must-pass spending bill.
REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D), TEXAS: We can`t support a wall. We`re not going to support a wall across America.
JOHNS: One source directly involved in talks tells CNN the negotiations are a mess, with Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn accusing Democrats of holding
the budget deal hostage.
And Democrats arguing that the long and broad immigration policy wish list released by the White House last week has made chances for a deal harder.
Republican Senator Jeff Flake telling CNN he`s prepared to tell the president at today`s meeting that the DREAMers deal needs to be narrowly
focused in order to reach an agreement.
REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R), ILLINOIS: I think this is really going to be the inflection point where we -- we get some things done or we don`t.
[08:15:00] JOHNS: Negotiations are under way on Capitol Hill as President Trump`s lawyers gear up for a possible request from Special Counsel Robert
Mueller to speak directly with the president as part of the Russia investigation. Sources tell CNN the subject has been broached in a previous
meeting but has not been officially discussed.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: My view is it will probably happen sometime this year.
JOHNS: The president`s legal team has been preparing for this possibility for months, weighing how to define the parameters of a potential interview
in a way that would limit the president`s exposure.
Mr. Trump is eager for the investigation to come to an end, and a source tells CNN that the expectation is that Mueller would not wrap up the probe
without speaking to the president.
KEN STARR, FORMER INDEPENDENT COUNSEL: He needs to -- in order to round out, complete his investigation to come to a decision, he needs to look the
president in the eye and ask the appropriate questions.
JOHNS: The Russia probe looming large over this White House as the administration struggles to shake questions about the president`s mental
fitness.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, ABC`S THE VIEW: So, do you think he`s, like, really smart and a stable genius?
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I think this. If he doesn`t call himself a genius, nobody else will.
(LAUGHTER)
GRAHAM: In my view, he is my president, and he`s doing a really good job on multiple fronts.
JOHNS: The president`s allies continuing to call Michael Wolff, the author of the tell-all book Fire and Fury, a liar.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think that it`s OK to question the fitness of a sitting president of the United States?
MICHAEL WOLFF, AUTHOR, FIRE AND FURY: I think -- I think it would be irresponsible not to, of course. You cannot listen to this man talk without
-- without at least contemplating the possibility that something is grievously amiss.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: It the midst of these latest questions about the president`s fitness to serve, we have gotten a word that the presidents physical examination
which is expected to occur later this week will not include a psychiatric examination.
We expect to see the president after he meets with those members of Congress here at the White House when he signed an executive order aimed at
helping veterans. Kristine.
LU STOUT: And Robert Mueller -- the prospect of him talking to Trump, no formal request has been made, no dates just yet but as the White House
pledged full cooperation, if and when that happens.
JOHNS: They have repeatedly pledge full corporation with a Special Counsel but in their planning for a possible interview with Mueller, they have made
it pretty clear that they`re attempting to limit the scope of any interaction the president might have with Mueller in order to limit if you
will his legal exposure or the exposure of other who work for him.
The president -- you know, what they would like to do is perhaps submit answers to written questions or otherwise find a way so that the president
does not find himself in a wide ranging interview with the Special Counsel because his attorneys see that as potentially dangerous. Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, they want to limit the exposure. Joe Johns, reporting live for us in the White House. Thank you. Now a pair of North Korean figure
skaters has become the unlikely focus of the North-South Korean talks.
And coming up next right here in News Stream, how their Olympic quest is helping to ease tensions on the Peninsula, plus, the increasingly dangerous
rescue mission to find 31 crew members missing after a tanker collision off the coast of China. We have got the latest on that, next.
[08:20:00] (COMMERCIAL break)
LU STOUT: All right, we have been talking about the significance of North Korea`s participation at the upcoming Winter Games and a sport has long
been a platform for overcoming injustice and fostering peace back in 1967.
A couple of athletes gathered to support Muhammad Ali in rejecting the draft during the Vietnam War. In 2012, members of the Miami Heat post in
hoodies in solidarity with Trayvon Martin. An African-American teen killed by neighborhood watch volunteer.
Well, more recently when athletes of all ages and levels protest for police brutality by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem. With the Winter
Games fast approaching, all eyes will be on the ice arena especially two North Korean figure skaters complete. Christina MacFarlane, looks at their
back story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It`s not really how well they skate that matters but if they do that counts. Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik
have become the likely focus of the first peace talks in more than two years between North and South Korea.
As diplomats aimed at diffusing a possible nuclear war instead turn their attention to figure skating. That is because the ice on the Korean
Peninsula is being broken over the winter Olympics and how these two athletes can compete.
In September the pair became the first and so far only athletes from North Korea to qualify for the 2018 games. But after missing the Olympic
committee deadline to confirm their places, their participation was in doubt.
That was until the IOC in a move to ensure this week`s diplomatic talks were not in vain extended that deadline with just a month to go until the
opening ceremony.
So what we do know about this figure skating duo from the secret state. Since coming together in 2015, the two had slowly risen to the world`s
rankings.
They won medal in a handful of competitions including bronze at the Asia Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan last February. Ryom is dues to turn 19 a
week before the games will open.
Her partner Kim is 25. Last summer they traveled from North Korea to Montreal in Canada where they trained under the watchful eye of Canadian
skating coach, Bruno Marcotte.
BRUNO MARCOTTE, COACHING CONSULTANT: Two words that come to me is happiness, you know, like positive and also passion. I am extremely
passionate about the sport of figure skating. And they`re just a joy to work with.
MACFARLANE: After helping them to career best performance in Germany to secure Olympic qualification where for one performance they even skated to
an instrumental version of the Beatles, A Day In The Life, Marcotte says the pair remain focused on improving their performance.
MARCOTTE: When the joy is over, they`re like, OK, what is next, what do we need do to keep better? In sports the joy is short-lived. Because as soon
as you think you have made it, then the trainers pass you. So they work quickly -- they quickly move forward in wanting knowing what they need to
do to be better the next time around.
MACFARLANE: Well, Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik may not win gold or even medal in Pyeongchang, it`s their participation for peace rather than a play from
the podium that could well be their lasting legacy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And that was, Christina Macfarlane, reporting there. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron is on the three-day state visit to China.
Reuters` reporters say he has delegation of 50 business leaders traveling with him.
They`re offering to open up France to Chinese investment in exchange, they want more access to China`s markets. Mr. Macron promise to visit China
every year of his presidency.
Rescue workers off the coast of China defacing tough conditions right now. They`re looking for more than 30 people missing after tanker collision.
Well adding to the danger, fears that this tanker could explode. Alexandra Field reports from Beijing.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Days after it collided in the East China Sea with a Chinese freighter in consulting the flames coming from an
Iranian tanker that was carrying 1 million barrels of oil from Iran all the way to South Korea.
[08:25:03] The rescue mission is complicated. Weather is making the conditions more dire but authorities say this is still a search and rescue
mission. They brought in at least 12 different vessels. This is a combined effort from the Chinese, South Korea and they`re getting support in the air
from the U.S. Navy.
They are working to try and find the 32 crew members who abort the Iranian tanker when it crashed into that Chinese freighter. Officials here in China
say that one body has been recovered. It has not been identified.
They are frantically working to rescue any others who would still be trapped on that ship. But again, conditions are tough. Authorities of
warning that there are also concerned that poisonous gas coming from that ship and also heavy smoke.
There is also a fear that that ship which was loaded down with that million barrels of ultra light crude oil could explode and sink. That would make
the job of cleaning up from an oil spill even more complicated if it was forced down to the bottom of the water.
In general, environmental activist say that this ultra light crude is easier to clean up than heavy crude but again, not if it`s forced well
below the water`s surface.
The tanker collided with a Chinese freighter that had a crew of 21 people on board. All 21 of those crew members were rescued along with the rescue
vessels that are now in the area in the East China Sea trying to find the crew members on the Iranian ship.
We know that there are also clean up vessel that have been called in to try and control any spillage coming from that tanker as it continues to burn.
Kristie.
LU STOUT: Alexandra Field there. Now, more than half a million devotees marched at one of the Philippines the largest religious festivals. These
are pictures of the huge crowd that have gather in Manila to follow a statue called the Black Nazarene.
They faithfully the statue of a cross bearing Jesus has healing powers. Some of the marchers suffered injuries as they jostled so they could touch
it. You are watching News Stream.
Still ahead right here in the program, we`ve got more breaking news coverage of the groundbreaking talks between North and South Korea. The two
countries leaders are able to listen in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I`m Kristie Lu Stout coming to you live from Seoul South Korea. You are watching News Stream and these are your world headline.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now talks between North and South Korea have wrapped up for the day. The two sides have met just inside the DMZ of the South Korean side,
their first face-to-face meeting in two years.
In a joint statement they said this, North Korea has agreed to send a high- level delegations next month`s Winter Games in South Korea. And the two sides plan feature talks on easing military tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump will host a bipartisan meeting at the White House just a few hours from now on the agenda, immigration. Lawmakers will
try to reach a deal on DACA. That`s a program protecting hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Mr.
Trump says no deal will be reached unless he gets his border wall.
And Iranian lawmakers say 3,700 people were arrested during recent anti- government demonstrations. That is far more than the 450 arrests first reported by Iranian officials. At least 21 people died during six days of
protests, the biggest test (INAUDIBLE) leadership (INAUDIBLE) mass rallies in 2009.
Both South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un were able to monitor today`s talks and intervene as needed. The unification
ministry tells CNN that closed circuit TV and microphones were installed at the venue. And President Moon, he could see and hear the talks, but Kim
Jong-un, he can only listen in. North and South Korea say they`re planning to increase dialogue and hold (ph) military talks.
For more on that, Ivan Watson joins me now live from Seoul. And Ivan, the two countries will conduct military talks to avoid accidental clashes, one
of many big breakthrough in today`s talks.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I mean, both sides came to the table clearly both wanting North Korea to attend the
upcoming Winter Olympics here in North Korea, but then it`s clear that the discussions moved into other realms like military communication. Let`s just
get a sampling of the opening statements from the leaders of both delegations at the start of today`s groundbreaking discussions. Take a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RI SON GWON, CHAIRMAN, NORTH KOREA`S COMMITTEE FOR THE PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION OF THE FATHERLAND (through translator): We came to this
meeting today with a serious and sincere attitude and with the thought of giving our brethren, who have high hopes for this dialogue, invaluable
results as the first present of the year.
CHO MYOUNG-GYON, SOUTH KOREAN UNIFICATION MINISTER (through translator): Our talks resume after the North and South Korean ties have been severed
for a long time. But I believe the first step is half the journey. I would like to hold this meeting with tenacity and perseverance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: So that fist step, Kristie, there was another one. South Korea announced that it learned from its northern counterparts that North Korea
had reopened a military communication line on the western coast of the peninsula and the South Koreans announced that they from their side would
reopen that line first thing on Wednesday as well.
And in the joint statement which called for North Korea to attend the upcoming Winter Olympics, they also made it clear that there would be
future military discussions as well. That`s something that Seoul announced that it wanted going -- to bring up going into these discussions.
Another issue that they wanted raised, Kristie, was possible reunion of separated families that did not make it into the final joint statement.
Kristie?
LU STOUT: Tell us more about that, because, I mean, it is just very tragic, what these families have to go through, you know, the delegation. They were
really helping to resume this inter-Korean reunion. What is the situation currently for these families separated by the Korean War?
WATSON: Yes. Since 1953, when the active conflict ended, you have people siblings, for example, who haven`t been able see each other because of
living on opposite sides of the demilitarized zone. There are tens of thousands of people here in South Korea who are separated from their
families in the North.
Now, in previous years when relations were better between Seoul and Pyongyang, there were these are very emotional reunions that were organized
to let people see each other anything for at least a few emotional hours. That`s been suspended for some time.
The South Korean Delegation said they wanted to raise this in the meeting and they did, proposing that this could be facilitated through the Red
Cross and proposing that some of these reunions could take place as early as February during the lunar new year which is a holiday here.
We have not really gotten a response, but certainly that proposal did not make it into the joint statement. So it is entirely clear at this point
what the North Korean response to that proposal was. Kristie?
LU STOUT: And South Koreans just wait for that answer to come one day. Ivan Watson reporting live for us. Thank you.
Now, Oprah Winfrey and everyone is still talking about her passion speech she made on Sunday at the Golden Globes. There has been feel and
speculation she could be contemplating a presidential run in year 2020. now, two of Oprah`s friends tell CNN that she is actively thinking about
it. Here`s part of that speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, AMERICAN MEDIA PROPRIETOR: For too long, women have not been heard or believed, if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those
men, but their time is up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:35:00] LU STOUT: The speech even got the attention of President Trump`s daughter, Ivanka. She tweeted this, quote, just saw Oprah`s empowering and
inspiring speech at last night`s Golden Globes. Let`s all come together, women and men, and say time is up, united. The White House says it would
welcome a challenge from Oprah or anyone else.
Now, entertainment fans, listen up. We got nominations for the British Academy Film Awards. They have announced the dark fantasy "The Shape of
Water" leads the way with 12 BAFTA nominations. And a new host will be at helm this year. British actress Joanna Lumley takes over from Stephen Fry
who has hosted for the past 12 years. The BAFTA will be held in London on February 18th.
From the red carpet to the boardroom, you follow the debate over gender equality. For women in the developing world, the fight to be treated as
equals is as real as ever. Their stories even more inspiring. CNN is partnering with the European Journalism Center over the coming year in a
special interactive section of the website.
We are going to show you the challenges these women face weather it is in the classroom or in the workplace and politics or on health care. And you
will see what is being done to bring down barriers wherever they exist. You can find it at CNN.com/As Equals to find out more.
You`re watching "News Stream," coming to you live from Seoul. And we`re also going to take you live to the world`s biggest tech show in Las Vegas
to show you the latest gadgets generating (INAUDIBLE).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back. From smart underwear to mouth guards that could prevent concussions, wow, this year`s biggest tech convention is
(INAUDIBLE) but useful gadgets of the future. So what`s (INAUDIBLE) the show so far?
Samuel Burke is there for us. He joins us now. Samuel, of course, it`s the biggest tech show of the year. You are there. And this year in the halls,
you came across a pair of glasses that can help the legally blind see. How well do they work?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That`s right. It sounds like a contradiction but I got them on me right now. It`s from a
company called eSight. And what these glasses are doing, I`m actually looking at a screen, showing in the camera, what exactly in front of me, so
I might just ask Jeff to hold a finger. Yes, you`re holding up four fingers. Easy for me to see, but that could be a big difference to somebody
who is legally blind.
So what this does is it actually let you see a better contrast and more magnification if you`re legally blind, zooming in up to 24 times more than
what you normally see. It comes with a hefty price tag, almost $10,000. One thing that was really interesting, you have this remote so you can zoom in.
You can also connect it to streaming.
So if you`re legally blind and you want to stay on the couch and watch Netflix with your family, they can see the TV and maybe you can see through
live stream what they`re seeing on the television. These are the best type of stories, Kristie, where you see technology that could actually change
people`s lives.
LU STOUT: Yes, absolutely. It can make a real world impact for a lot of people.
The intel CEO is a big headliner there. Hit the stage and of course the news out last week about those flaws in the company`s chips. How did he
address that?
BURKE: That`s right. So many people here are talking about Spectre and Meltdown because they are worried about their own systems because so many
tech companies have these chips in their devices.
[08:40:00] He started off the keynote speech talking about this problem and he said they have done a remarkable job, the whole tech industry coming
together. And it`s true that we haven`t seen any hacks yet from this flaw. But on the other hand, he didn`t offer an apology. He didn`t offer any
explanation about how they missed this flaw.
So many companies including his own, and he didn`t take any questions from the press. In fact, he didn`t do any television interview. So, I think
there are still a lot of questions there, especially about the major stock sale. He did $50 million in stock that he sold between the time he found
out but before the rest of us in the tech world and the public stockholders found out.
LU STOUT: Yes, it sounds like he is trying to address the situation crisis communications open and the questions remain. And finally, Samuel,
something else caught your eyes there. And correct me if I didn`t quite get this concept right. This is a gadget. It is a mouthguard that you can use
to prevent concussions?
BURKE: Yes. So what it is, is a mouthguard with four sensors like you might see a lot of athletes use. Inside here are the sensors, but you pop it in
your mouth just like you would any type of device like this. This one is called "Prevent." It cost $199. But the sensors are actually measuring
impact live.
So let`s say you have a kid who plays football, American football, I`d say, the coach could be here with an iPad measuring how hard of an impact they
just took. And what they say, there`s a better way to understand impact, because the top teeth are connected to your skull where a helmet is on the
outside.
So this will know exactly what the inside, what the actual head is feeling. So, you may not know precisely that they had a concussion, but if they take
an impact, that you see it so high, that it could lead to a concussion, you could pull your kids right off the field or why not just kids, adults,
people playing in the NFL here in United States. This has been a huge concern, concussions, and what we can do to address it, maybe with
technology.
LU STOUT: Incredible. That is a wearable that could save lives and certainly improve the quality of life of football players. What an
advancement. Samuel Burke, thank you so much for sharing what you found there. Take care.
Now, many politicians, they have a net for avoiding answers to tough questions, but the prime minister of Thailand, he is giving new meaning to
the art of the dodge. Prayuth Chan-ocha did it with a mirror image of himself. This is what he told reporters. He said, go ahead, direct
questions to this.
A cardboard cutout of him, after standing outside the government house. Before stepping off from the microphone, he said, in his words, quote, if
you want to ask any questions on politics or conflicts, ask this guy. Prayuth was named prime minister after leading a military coup in 2014.
Now, offering crisis communications advice of his own.
Now, same-sex couples exchange wedding vows across Australia`s laws legalizing gay marriage took effect. Parliament passed legislation December
after Australians overwhelmingly voted for same-sex unions in a nationwide postal survey.
Campaigners have been pushing for change for decades but face resistance from conservative lawmakers and religious groups. Some Australian states
ruled homosexual acts illegal until just 20 years ago.
And that is "News Stream." I`m Kristie Lu Stout. Don`t go anywhere. "World Sport" with Amanda Davies is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
END
