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

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Recent Analysis

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What is North Korea learning from Russia's war in Ukraine?

Dr. Victor Cha, Ms. Kate Bondar, and Mr. Bruce Klingner discussed how the Ukraine war is reshaping warfare, what North Korea may learn from Russia, and the implications for Korean Peninsula security. 

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha and Kateryna Bondar — July 1, 2026

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Recent Events

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Featured Podcasts

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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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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 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.

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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.

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Featured Report

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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.

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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.

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Featured Event

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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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All Korea Chair Content

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North Korea's Surprising Economic Boom | The Capital Cable #137

The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times both recently called North Korea's economy a surprising success, pointing to its fastest growth in eight years and a remade Pyongyang. The Capital Cable #137 asks what is driving the boom, what it obscures, and what it says about Kim Jong-un's rule fifteen years on.

Event — July 2, 2026

The Impossible State

What is North Korea learning from Russia's war in Ukraine?

Dr. Victor Cha, Ms. Kate Bondar, and Mr. Bruce Klingner discussed how the Ukraine war is reshaping warfare, what North Korea may learn from Russia, and the implications for Korean Peninsula security. 

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha and Kateryna Bondar — July 1, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast

South Korea’s Market Boom—and the Bubble Beneath It

The South Korean stock market is the world’s best-performing in the first six months of 2026, doubling in value mainly on investors’ perceptions of two companies. But South Korean investors are also at great risk because the euphoric sentiment driving the rally will end someday. This could shock the broader economy, create political fallout, and damage Koreans’ confidence in stock investing.

Newsletter by Evan Ramstad — June 30, 2026

What Xi Got in Pyongyang | The Capital Cable #136

On June 8–9, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Pyongyang and met Kim Jong-un. Timed to the 65th anniversary of the China–DPRK friendship treaty, the visit came as Beijing worked to reassert its standing with a partner that has spent two years deepening military and economic ties with Russia.

Event — June 16, 2026

The Impossible State

How Should the United States Counter the CRINK Axis?

Dr. Victor Cha, Igor Khrestin, Joseph Kim, and Dr. Maria Snegovaya join Will Todman to assess CRINK’s vulnerabilities and U.S. policy options on democracy, rights, and security.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman, Victor Cha, and Maria Snegovaya — June 12, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast
Audio Briefs

Who Are G7’s Top Performers?

An audio version of "⁠Who Are G7’s Top Performers?⁠," a new Commentary by CSIS’s Victor Cha. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha — June 12, 2026

Audio Briefs