The Impossible State

Dr. Victor Cha and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed the significance of Kim Jong-un’s surprise weekend visit to Dandong, China, via the New Yalu River Bridge, exploring why Kim chose to visit China at this time and what the visit means ahead of President Trump’s upcoming trip to Asia.

Dr. Victor Cha, Mr. Ankit Panda, and Ms. Jenny Town discussed North Korea’s recent missile launches, focusing on what the tests reveal about North Korea's military capabilities and the strategy behind the accelerated pace of launches.

Dr. Victor Cha, Mr. Wonchul Kim, and Ms. Jeehye Yoo discussed President Lee’s North Korea initiative, recent tensions involving the DMZ and North Korean POWs, and the broader outlook for inter-Korean relations. 

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Bonny Lin, and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed recent developments in China–North Korea relations and the broader implications of the Trump–Xi summit for regional security and geopolitics in Northeast Asia. 

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. 

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. 

Dr. Victor Cha, Igor Khrestin, Joseph Kim, and Dr. Maria Snegovaya joined host Will Todman to discuss CRINK’s key vulnerabilities and examine U.S. policy recommendations for addressing the challenges the grouping poses to democracy, human rights, economic security, and national security. The discussion will draw on the GWBI’s recent report on CRINK and explore the implications of growing alignment among these authoritarian actors.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Edward Howell, and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed North Korea's relationships with the CRINK countries and examine Beijing’s priorities heading into an imminent Xi-Kim summit. 

In this episode, Mr. Sydney Seiler moderated a discussion with Ambassador Joseph Yun and Mr. Adam Farrar to examine the new frameworks proposed in Dr. Victor Cha’s recent Foreign Affairs article, “North Korea as It Is: The Case for a Cold Peace,” and to explore how the international community might engage North Korea, acknowledge the reality of its nuclear status, mitigate and reduce risks, and potentially establish a peaceful environment that could eventually lead to some form of denuclearization.

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Dr. Jieun Baek discussed her new book, Privileged but Powerless: How North Korean Elite Grievances Reveal the Regime’s Greatest Weakness, and examined how grievances among North Korea’s elites may shape the regime’s future stability and security, while also exploring new approaches to addressing the North Korean threat.