Podcast
The Impossible State
Hosted by CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies · EN
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.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Korea Update: NDS, Coupang and Congress
Feb 1300:40:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Dr. Victor Cha moderated a discussion with Adam Farrar and Igor Khrestin on the recent Coupang investigation, the key elements of Trump’s National Defense Strategy, what that means for South Korea and for any future response to North Korean threats, and more.
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North Korea in 2026: Intentions, Realities, and Response
Feb 200:47:31Tap to summarizeSydney 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.
Transcribe →Recalibrating U.S.-ROK Alliance: Strategic Priorities for 2026
Jan 1600:42:50Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Is North Korean Denuclearization Dead?
Dec 900:44:30Tap to summarizeOn this episode, Dr. Victor Cha moderates a discussion with Amb. Cho Byung Jae and Dr. Jun Bong-geun on North Korea’s nuclear program and the future of diplomacy. The episode explores Pyongyang’s constitutional embrace of nuclear weapons, Seoul’s E.N.D. initiative to revive dialogue, and President Trump’s push for summitry.
Transcribe →What Does China Want?
Nov 2400:38:03Tap to summarizeDr. Victor Cha, Dr. Zenobia Chan, and Ms. Henrietta Levin discussed whether China is a status quo power with limited global aims, or a revisionist state with goals of expanding power and reshaping the global international order, and more.
Transcribe →South Korea’s Nuclear Submarine Deal: What’s Next?
Nov 1400:37:39Tap to summarizeDr. Victor Cha, Dr. Kang Choi, and Dr. Beomchul Shin discussed the outcomes of the APEC meetings, South Korea’s nuclear submarine deal with the United States, and potential next steps.
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Upcoming U.S.-ROK Summit and the Future of Inter-Korean Engagement
Oct 2200:38:39Tap to summarizeDr. Victor Cha, Dr. Andrew Yeo, and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed the future of inter-Korean engagement, the upcoming APEC meetings, and the upcoming summit meeting between Presidents Trump and Lee.
Transcribe →Can Korea Manage Economic Security and Supply Chain Challenges?
Mar 21, 2025Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Dr. Hyo-young Lee discussed Korea’s economic security issues, supply chain challenges, the future of U.S.-ROK economic cooperation under the new Trump administration, and more.
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