Pence, Kim Jong-un's Sister Seated Just Feet Apart.
BALDWIN: One photo, two people, and a half century of nuclear tensions between them. The vice president of the United States, Mike Pence, and the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong- un seated feet apart. Pence and his wife Karen seated in the same VIP box as Kim Yo-jong during today's opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Pence and the sister did not interact at all. But CNN did confirm that the vice president knew in advance that the North Koreans would be seated nearby. But the vice president is only a portion of this moment significance because Kim is the first person from North Korea's ruling family to actually cross the border into South Korea since the 1950s. And then this moment here, Kim shakes hands with the president of the South Korea, despite the onslaught of threats from the north just in the last month. So, joining me now, CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott, and Gordon Chang. He is author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World." Elise, let me just start with you. What more do you know about the vice president and this sister and this whole seating situation?</s>ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, essentially, they were in the same box. President moon's private box. The vice president knew that this was going to happen, as you said. He wanted to sit with President Moon and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the three allies together, to show the kind of steadfastness against North Korean aggressions. And, you know, there was a lot of speculation all week about whether Vice President Pence would meet with members of the North Korean delegation. He didn't rule it out. He was kind of coy all week. He said we'll see what happens. But he wasn't looking for pleasantries. And that's why he didn't talk to Kim Jong-un's sister or Kim Yong Nam who was the kind of nominal head of state who's leading the delegation. He said, Vice President Pence has said, if I'm going to talk to the North Koreans at all this week, I'm going to deliver a tough message. And let's face it, you know, the opening ceremony, in between the fireworks, dragons and all the dancers is not really the time to do that. They were sitting there. So, it might be an opportunity tomorrow for them to talk. We really don't know. But, you know, the fact that the North Koreans are there, very significant. But, you know, as far as the vice president and the Trump administration is concerned, this is a charm offensive that's going to be kind of one and done. This isn't going to further North Korea's nuclear ambitions. And that's why the vice president, this week in Asia, has really been trying to deny the North Koreans what he calls a propaganda victory. So, he has been going to Japan, going to Seoul, demonstrating the U.S. military and economic pressure against North Korea. Today, he met with some North Korean defectors, visited a memorial to that ship years ago that was torpedoed by the North Koreans. So, really trying to counter that North Korean charm offensive with what he calls the truth about what he calls the most tyrannical country on the planet.</s>BALDWIN: Elise, stand by for me there in Seoul, South Korea. Gordon, just turning to you. You know, apparently the Blue House, South Korean presidential residence, the office had put out an original seating chart, it was the Kim sister and --</s>GORDON CHANG, AUTHOR, "NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN: NORTH KOREA TAKES ON THE WORLD": Exactly behind Pence.</s>BALDWIN: Exactly behind Pence. And then, whoop, you see the picture and they're a little farther away. Would you surprised to see them, though, still so close?</s>CHANG: No, because President Moon of South Korea wants discussions between the North Koreans and the Americans. So, therefore, there's been a lot of seating plans where the two are together. So, for instance, at the reception before the opening ceremony --</s>BALDWIN: Yes.</s>CHANG: -- Kim Yong-nam, the nominal head of state, was seated at the table as Pence. Pence blew off dinner and that disrespects the host. Reason why that's important, is because of the host in this case is South Korea, a staunch and critical American ally. So, that was not good diplomacy on the part of Pence.</s>BALDWIN: We know that, again, other gestures from the South. President Moon having this lunch with the Kim sister, our evening there, lunch time tomorrow, and what we're hearing from sources is that the Kim sister will extend an invitation to Pyongyang of the South Korean president. I mean, what do you make of these extraordinary gestures from the North to the South?</s>CHANG: Well, we're in sort of the third of the four stages of the North Korean play book. The stages are, first of all, North Korea ignores South Korea, then you have a bold overture, which was the New Year's address by Kim Jong un, demand for concessions, which is where we are now, and then tantrums. And I think what the Kims are trying to do is to create a situation where they demand things from South Korea, south Korea wants to give them to the North, but because of U.N. sanctions and U.S. pressure, they're not, so they're going to blame us. And, by the way, Brooke, I'm getting tired of South Korean presidents always going to Pyongyang. I think the leader of the North Korean state, if he wants to have dialogue with South Korea, they should come down to Seoul, but they never do it. They don't do it because they think traveling to Seoul would be a sign of weakness. They would rather have the South Koreans exhibit the weakness.</s>BALDWIN: Come to them. Gordon, thank you very much. Let's get you back to our breaking news today. Pretty stunning remarks from the president of the United States. This is his first public statement by alleged domestic abuse by his former aide, remarks in which basically he defends the guy and doesn't mention any of the women or their allegations whatsoever. We're going to discuss that farther. Also, while you were sleeping, Congress pulls an all-nighter and Republican Senator Rand Paul is the one who keeps all of his colleagues awake. See what happened on the floor, ahead.