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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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.

Congressional Testimony by Victor Cha — September 16, 2026

See all analysis by the Korea Chair

Upcoming Event

Webcast

U.S.-Korea Trade and Investment Deal | The Capital Cable #142

Presented by Korea Chair
September 17, 2026 • 9:30 – 10:15 am EDT

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.

Listen here
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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.

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

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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.

Find out more

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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Featured Topics

All Korea Chair Content

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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

K-Beauty’s Brazil Push Signals a New Type of Korean Diplomacy

K-Beauty has long been filed under soft power, a pleasant byproduct of the same Korean wave that carried K-pop and K-dramas abroad. However, it has since become a serious economic engine in its own right, transforming into a commercial asset that the government now negotiates for and regulates around. 

Blog Post by Nicole Choi — August 28, 2026

After Iran: A Scenario for Renewed Trump-Kim Summitry

The conventional policy wisdom is that President Trump’s enthusiasm for reengagement is not shared by Kim Jong-un. But Victor Cha argues that a unique set of drivers, including North Korean revisionism, could spur a renewal of diplomacy.

Critical Questions by Victor Cha — August 13, 2026

The Impossible State

Poisoning the Well: U.S.-Korea Trade Tension

Dr. Victor Cha, Adam Farrar, Eunjoong Kim, and Wonchul Kim discussed the recent U.S. House Judiciary Committee report on discriminatory practices, expiration of Section 122 tariffs, and the Korean investment deals. 

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha, Adam Farrar, Eunjoong Kim, and Wonchul Kim — July 31, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast