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by CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies
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.
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- 1 weeks ago42 min
Lips and Teeth? China, North Korea, and the Korean Peninsula
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.
- Aug 3, 202647 min
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.
- Jul 1, 202650 min
What is North Korea learning from Russia's war in Ukraine?
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.
- Jun 12, 202646 min
How Should the United States Counter the CRINK Axis?
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.
- Jun 10, 202647 min
The CRINK Challenge: Implications for North Korea and Global Security
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.
- May 27, 202645 min
Cold Peace: Engaging DPRK to Reduce Risk and Threat
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.
- May 12, 202635 min
Privileged But Powerless
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.
- May 5, 202637 min
Korean Messiah
In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha moderated a discussion with Jonathan Cheng on how the surprising ties between the Kim dynasty and American Christianity shaped North Korea’s leadership, and how power, belief, and narrative intersect in the hermit kingdom, influencing dynamics in Northeast Asia and the broader international landscape.
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About 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.
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