Korea Chair

The Korea Chair is the award-winning premier independent platform in Washington, D.C. for the advancement of major policy issues of common importance to the people of the Republic of Korea and the United States.

Through nonpartisan, expert analysis and cutting-edge, data-driven research on ongoing policy opportunities and security challenges facing the region, the Korea Chair promotes a greater understanding of relations between the United States, Korea, and the Indo-Pacific. 

The Korea Chair examines issues ranging from politics, economy, and foreign policy to economic security, geopolitics, and non-proliferation. The program runs Beyond Parallel, a microsite dedicated to Korean unification, and employs satellite imagery, AIS data, and other data analytics to monitor and track developments on and around the peninsula. Beyond Parallel also houses years of accumulated databases on nuclear diplomacy, unification, and the U.S.-Korea alliance.

New projects that look beyond the peninsula include the role of the G7 in global governance and the weaponization of economic interdependence. The program actively promotes policy discussion in Washington and Seoul through the Impossible State podcast and the Capital Cable series live on YouTube.

The CSIS Korea Chair is the recipient of the 2022 Van Fleet Award and the 2025 Korea Foundation Award for its outstanding contributions to Korea policy studies.

Dr. Victor Cha, a former White House official and Georgetown University distinguished professor, is leading the Korea program as the inaugural chairholder since 2009.

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Meet Our Experts

Meet our network of experts, staff, and non-resident affiliates who contribute to the Korea Chair's analysis.

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Recent Analysis

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Ukraine and South Korea’s Diplomatic Dispute Deepens | State of Play

Victor Cha explains why the diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public disclosure that Kyiv had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul has deepened, and what both sides may want out of it.

Commentary by Victor Cha — October 23, 2026

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Recent Events

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Featured Media

How China and North Korea Repress Human Rights

Featured Chart

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Missile Diplomacy: North Korea Ramps Up Threats in Trump 2.0

Amid President Donald Trump’s calls for summitry with his “friend” Kim Jong-un, as well as his observation that Kim has been “unthreatening and respectful," North Korea has not slowed its missile testing spree.

Analysis by Victor Cha and Andy Lim — October 20, 2026

Upcoming Event

Webcast

Taking Stock of the U.S.-Korea Alliance | The Capital Cable #146

Presented by Korea Chair
November 13, 2026 • 9:30 – 10:15 am EST

Featured Podcasts

Photo: CSIS

The Impossible State

North Korea is the Impossible State. Each episode, join the people who know the most about North Korea for an insiders’ discussion with host Victor Cha about one of the United States’ top national security priorities.

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Capital Cable Banner

The Capital Cable

The Capital Cable provides cutting edge expert analysis of events on the Korean peninsula and how it impacts the U.S. and Asia.

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Featured Testimony

Photo: CSIS

The Long Arm of China and North Korea’s Repression

CSIS' ongoing study found inmates in political prison camps are mobilized for manufacturing tied to Chinese orders. These abuses are not incidental; they sustain a partnership that reinforces North Korea's regime and its system of state control.

View Full Testimony

Featured Microsite

Beyond Parallel

Beyond Parallel

Beyond Parallel is a nonpartisan and authoritative analytic vehicle for delivering greater clarity and understanding to policymakers, strategists, and opinion leaders about Korean unification.

Learn more about Beyond Parallel

Featured Report

Photo: Alabuga.polytech under CC BY 4.0.

Human Rights Abuses in Drone Production at Yelabuga

This report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in cooperation with the George W. Bush Institute, contends that the burgeoning labor force that powers the Alabuga drone factory has become a site of gross human rights abuses and human trafficking.

View the analysis

Featured Program

U.S.-Korea NextGen Scholars

U.S.-Korea NextGen Scholars Program

The U.S.-Korea NextGen Scholars Program is a unique two-year program (non-resident) that provides opportunities for mid-career Korea specialists to discuss issues of importance to U.S.-Korea relations.

Find out more

Featured Event

Photo: CSIS

ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum

Each year, this premier international forum brings together senior U.S. and ROK officials, experts, policymakers and journalists to discuss issues important to the U.S.-ROK alliance, inter-Korean relations, and U.S. policy toward North Korea.

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Featured Topics

All Korea Chair Content

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The Strategic Implications of the Russia-North Korea Axis

CSIS convenes a conference examining the durability of the North Korea-Russia partnership, and what it means for the United States and its allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific by bringing together leading specialists on Russia, North Korea and alliance theory. 

Event — November 16, 2026

The Impossible State

Camp David, Three Years On: Still Standing?

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Hyun-Wook Kim and Dr. Yanghyeon Jo, discussed the trilateral partnership among the United States, Japan, and South Korea, exploring the three countries strategic priorities ahead of APEC summit in Shenzhen.

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha — November 9, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast
The Impossible State

Bridge to Beijing? Kim Jong-un Crosses the Yalu

Dr. Victor Cha and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed the significance of Kim Jong-un’s surprise visit to China, via the New Yalu River Bridge, exploring why Kim chose to visit China at this time and what the visit means ahead of President Trump’s upcoming trip to Asia.

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha and Sydney Seiler — October 27, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast

Ukraine and South Korea’s Diplomatic Dispute Deepens | State of Play

Victor Cha explains why the diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public disclosure that Kyiv had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul has deepened, and what both sides may want out of it.

Commentary by Victor Cha — October 23, 2026

The Impossible State

Missile Madness: Prelude to Summit?

Dr. Victor Cha, Mr. Ankit Panda, and Ms. Jenny Town discussed North Korea’s recent missile launches, focusing on what the tests reveal about North Korea's military capabilities and the strategy behind the accelerated pace of launches.

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha — October 23, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast