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

Brewing Korea Crisis? Mines, Missiles, & POWs

Dr. Victor Cha, Mr. Wonchul Kim, and Ms. Jeehye Yoo discussed President Lee’s North Korea initiative, recent tensions involving the DMZ and North Korean POWs, and the broader outlook for inter-Korean relations. 

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha — October 8, 2026

See all analysis by the Korea Chair

Upcoming Event

In Person

Without Parallel: North Korean Human Rights and the Russia Axis

Presented by Korea Chair
October 14, 2026 • 9:15 – 11:00 am EDT

Recent Events

See all events by the Korea Chair

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.

Listen here
Photo: iLab/CSIS

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.

Listen here

Featured Video

The Strategic Value of Korea to China

CSIS Korea Chair is producing a three-part series on examining the Strategic Value of China to Korea, why traditional equities no longer applies, and Korea’s capabilities to fight back against China’s economic coercion.

Watch the video

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: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The United States–Republic of Korea Alliance

The Asan Institute for Policy Studies and CSIS engaged in a joint project from late 2025 to early 2026, including a full-day workshop to assess extended nuclear deterrence cooperation within the U.S.-ROK alliance.

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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Without Parallel: North Korean Human Rights and the Russia Axis

CSIS and the George W. Bush Institute are inviting you to an event, Without Parallel: North Korean Human Rights and the Russia Axis, featuring a panel discussion refocusing attention on North Korean human rights by examining conditions at the Alabuga drone-production facilities in Russia. 

Event — October 14, 2026

The Impossible State

Brewing Korea Crisis? Mines, Missiles, & POWs

Dr. Victor Cha, Mr. Wonchul Kim, and Ms. Jeehye Yoo discussed President Lee’s North Korea initiative, recent tensions involving the DMZ and North Korean POWs, and the broader outlook for inter-Korean relations. 

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha — October 8, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast

What Should Korea’s Take on “The Asian NATO” Be?

An Asian NATO is unlikely to be institutionalized in the near future. However, keeping the issue alive can serve as an aspirational goal. That aspiration will push Korea to further strengthen all the layers of its multi-layered security architecture.

Newsletter by Ho-Young Ahn — October 1, 2026

The Impossible State

Lips and Teeth? China, North Korea, and the Korean Peninsula

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Bonny Lin, and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed recent developments in China–North Korea relations and the broader implications of the Trump–Xi summit for regional security and geopolitics in Northeast Asia.

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha, Bonny Lin, and Sydney Seiler — September 25, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast

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.

Congressional Testimony by Victor Cha — September 16, 2026