Ellen Kim

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Korea Chair
Ellen Kim

Ellen Kim is deputy director of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she is also a senior fellow. Her research focuses on U.S.-Korea relations and U.S.-China strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. She joined the Korea Chair upon its inception in 2009 and previously served as associate director and fellow before her departure in 2015. Her recent publications include "North Korea without Change” (with Victor Cha in The International Relations of Asia, edited by David Shambaugh, Rowman & Littlefield, forthcoming 2022) and "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: South Korea’s Strategic Dilemmas with China and the United States” (with Victor Cha, Asia Policy, January 2016). She holds a PhD in political science and international relations from the University of Southern California, an MPP from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a BA in international relations and Japanese studies from Wellesley College.

Programs & Projects

Areas of Expertise

Media Queries

In the News

All Ellen Kim Content

Filter by

Filtering By:

1 - 10 of 25 results

Russia’s Veto: Dismembering the UN Sanctions Regime on North Korea

Russia’s veto of a UN resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts (PoE), which monitors UN member states’ enforcement of the UN sanctions regime on North Korea, will effectively end the mandate for the PoE, which expires at the end of April 2024.

Critical Questions by Victor Cha and Ellen Kim — March 29, 2024

The DPRK-Hamas Relationship

North Korea has a long history of relations with Hamas. Their relationship goes back to the 1960s when North Korea first started to provide financial assistance and training to the Palestinian Liberation Organization. 

Critical Questions by Ellen Kim and Salamata Bah — March 27, 2024

Seoul-Moscow Relations on a Dangerous Slippery Slope

There has been a significant downturn in the bilateral relations between South Korea and Russia over the past two years. This began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and South Korea’s participation in subsequent U.S.-led sanctions against Russia.

Commentary by Ellen Kim — February 22, 2024

North Korea Warns with Fifth ICBM Test

North Korea launched the solid-fuel Hwasong-18, its fifth ICBM test this year, further advancing its weapons capability and timing it to the twelfth anniversary of Kim Jong-il’s death and the arrival of the USS Missouri to Busan, South Korea.

Critical Questions by Victor Cha and Ellen Kim — December 19, 2023

Summit between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin

The second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in September 2023 marks the tightening of the Russia-North Korea axis and a growing cooperation on arms and possibly strategic weapons technology.

Critical Questions by Victor Cha and Ellen Kim — September 13, 2023

A Renewed Axis: Growing Military Cooperation Between North Korea and Russia

The White House’s acknowledgement this week of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s possible trip later this month to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin is only the latest evidence of a growing military alignment between North Korea and Russia.

Commentary by Victor Cha and Ellen Kim — September 6, 2023

What Is Yoon’s NATO Strategy?

Last week, President Yoon attended the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. This is his second time participating in the summit. What is driving his active engagement with NATO?

Commentary by Ellen Kim — July 19, 2023