The Impossible State

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha discusses his new Foreign Affairs essay on what the U.S. and allies should do to counter Chinese economic coercion, plus a discussion of North Korea’s latest ICBM engine test.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. Chung Min Lee, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) and Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), to discuss his recent report on South Korea’s national security and defense review, and the relationship between ROK-Japan, DPRK, and China under the Yoon administration.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Professor Yasuyo Sakata, professor of international relations at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan to discuss bilateral Korea-Japan relations, trilateral U.S.-Korea-Japan cooperation and the North Korean growing threat.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Mr. Christian Davies, Seoul bureau chief of the Financial Times, to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the Korean context, North Korea's nuclear tensions, and the 2022 National Defense Strategy report on North Korea.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo, professor at King's College London and KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Brussels School of Governance of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, to discuss his recently published book, Shrimp to Whale: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop, North Korea's recent missile tests and military capabilities, as well as South Korea's response to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha is joined by Ms. Jenny Town, Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center and Director of Stimson's 38 North Program, to discuss Vice President Harris' visit to Korea on September 29th, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and how the war in Ukraine and the situation in Taiwan Strait affect Korean policy and North Korean calculations.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha is joined by Mr. Nicholas Szechenyi, Senior Fellow with the Japan Chair and Deputy Director for Asia at CSIS, to discuss Abe's death, the implications of the Liberal Democratic Party, Japanese defense security reform under Prime Minister Kishida, as well as trilateral cooperation between the United States, Japan, and Korea.

In Session 2, " Normalization of Korea-Japan Relations," of the ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum 2022, speakers Dr. Choi Eunbong, Dr. Ellen Kim, Dr. Sheila Smith, Dr. Sohn Yul, and Dr. Yoon Young-kwan discussed ways to improve the bilateral relationship between South Korea and Japan.

In Session 1, "The Biden-Yoon Summit and Korea’s Pivot to Regional Leadership," of the ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum 2022, speakers Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Ma Sangyoon, Mr. Robert Rapson, Dr. Yoon Young-kwan, and Amb. Mark Lippert discussed the U.S.-Korea alliance, the potential cooperation opportunities, and North Korea issues.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee from Tufts University to discuss the nature of North Korean leadership throughout three generations, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un, as well as the rise of Kim Yo-jong, the subject of Dr. Lee's forthcoming book, The Sister.