The Impossible State

On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Sue Mi Terry with violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges activities that took place, in part, during a period in which Ms. Terry was employed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS is not a party to this litigation and takes the allegations seriously. CSIS maintains strict policies to ensure full compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the intellectual independence of its scholarship. In light of these serious allegations, CSIS cannot verify the independence of the scholarship of this material containing the views of Ms. Terry and has therefore archived this content pending the resolution of the charges.

On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Sue Mi Terry with violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges activities that took place, in part, during a period in which Ms. Terry was employed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS is not a party to this litigation and takes the allegations seriously. CSIS maintains strict policies to ensure full compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the intellectual independence of its scholarship. In light of these serious allegations, CSIS cannot verify the independence of the scholarship of this material containing the views of Ms. Terry and has therefore archived this content pending the resolution of the charges.

This episode is from the CSIS Korea Chair's live YouTube series, "The Capital Cable." Special guest Ambassador Caroline Kennedy joins Ambassador Mark Lippert, Dr. Victor Cha, and Dr. Sue Mi Terry for a conversation on her time as ambassador to Japan (2013-2017), the U.S.-Korea-Japan trilateral relationship, and the importance of female leadership in national security.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. Gi-Wook Shin to discuss the state of South Korea's democracy. Dr. Shin draws on his recent article "Korean Democracy is Sinking under the Guise of the Rule of Law," to examine signs of democratic backsliding in the Moon administration, and considers it part of a broader trend in a global decline of democracy. Dr. Gi-Wook Shin is director of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and the William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea in the Sociology Department and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; and a professor of sociology, all at Stanford University.

In this episode, Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. Seong-Ho Sheen and Chad O'Carroll to discuss all of the tough issues North Korea is currently facing including concerns over Covid-19, monsoon floods, food shortages, and sanctions. They also think ahead on the U.S. presidential election, and how its outcome could affect relations with North Korea. Dr. Seong-Ho Sheen is a professor of international security and East Asia at the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University. Chad O'Carroll is the CEO and Founder of Korea Risk Group and NK News.

On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Sue Mi Terry with violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges activities that took place, in part, during a period in which Ms. Terry was employed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS is not a party to this litigation and takes the allegations seriously. CSIS maintains strict policies to ensure full compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the intellectual independence of its scholarship. In light of these serious allegations, CSIS cannot verify the independence of the scholarship of this material containing the views of Ms. Terry and has therefore archived this content pending the resolution of the charges.

On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Sue Mi Terry with violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges activities that took place, in part, during a period in which Ms. Terry was employed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS is not a party to this litigation and takes the allegations seriously. CSIS maintains strict policies to ensure full compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the intellectual independence of its scholarship. In light of these serious allegations, CSIS cannot verify the independence of the scholarship of this material containing the views of Ms. Terry and has therefore archived this content pending the resolution of the charges.

This bonus episode comes from CSIS’s Beyond Parallel Living History video series. We invite Robert King, former special envoy for North Korea human rights issues, to share his experience leading efforts to advance human rights and humanitarian conditions in North Korea. Ambassador King served as special envoy for North Korea human rights issues at the U.S. Department of State from 2009 – 2017.

This bonus episode comes from CSIS’s Beyond Parallel Living History video series. In this episode, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow reflects on his work to bolster the U.S.-ROK alliance during his post in South Korea. He shares personal accounts of his experience negotiating key policies like the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and goes on to reveal his “diplomatic secret weapon” to establish rapport with South Korean citizens. Ambassador Vershbow served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 2005–2008.

This bonus episode comes from CSIS’s Beyond Parallel Living History video series. We invite Shin Kak-soo, former South Korean ambassador to Japan, to share his thoughts on the complexities of South Korea’s relations with Japan. Ambassador Shin served as the South Korean ambassador to Japan from 2011–2013.