Korea Chair

The Korea Chair is the 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 Asia.

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 analysis to monitor and track developments on and around the peninsula. Beyond Parallel also houses years of accumulated databases on nuclear diplomacy, unification, and the US-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.

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

Subscribe to the Impossible State podcast, and follow us on X, Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube to receive the Korea Chair’s latest analysis and event invitations.

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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.

Contact Information

  • Minchi Hyun
  • Special Assistant to the President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Program Manager, Korea Chair
  • MHyun@csis.org

Media Queries

Recent Analysis

A Closer Look at the Yelabuga UAV Factory

Satellite imagery shows rapid expansion of Russian UAV and UCAV production infrastructure at the Yelabuga Special Economic Zone, with reports suggesting potential North Korean labor involvement.

Commentary by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha, and Jennifer Jun — March 9, 2026

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Upcoming Event

Webcast

Recent Events

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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.

View the event

Featured Projects

All Korea Chair Content

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The Impossible State

North Korea in 2026: Intentions, Realities, and Response

Sydney Seiler, Dr. Patrick Cronin, Rachel Minyoung Lee, and Markus Garlauskas discussed North Korea's direction in 2026 and what to expect from Kim Jong Un in terms of the diplomatic front with Moscow, Beijing, the ROK, the U.S., and more.

Podcast Episode by Sydney Seiler — February 2, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast

China Relocates PMZ Structure to Weihai Shipyard

The Atlantic Amsterdam, a Chinese platform that was a point of tension between South Korea and China due to its unilateral placement by Beijing in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), arrived at a commercial shipyard in China last week.

Commentary by Jennifer Jun and Victor Cha — February 2, 2026

China Begins Relocating Structure from PMZ

CSIS imagery analysis and AIS data collection finds that China has begun relocating the Atlantic Amsterdam from inside the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) on January 27. 

Commentary by Jennifer Jun and Victor Cha — January 28, 2026

The Impossible State

Recalibrating U.S.-ROK Alliance: Strategic Priorities for 2026

In this episode, Mr. Sydney Seiler moderated a discussion with Dr. Chansong Lee and Dr. Bee Yun Jo of the Sejong Institute on the overall outlook of the U.S.–South Korea alliance leading up to 2026, including extended deterrence, the Nuclear Consultative Group, the OPCON transfer, shipbuilding, and other strategic issues.

Podcast Episode by Sydney Seiler, Chansong Lee, and Bee Yun Jo — January 16, 2026

The Impossible State Podcast

Indo-Pacific Forecast 2026

Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy (GFP) Department's annual preview of political, economic, and security developments across the region.

Event — January 14, 2026