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PODCAST

The Impossible State

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.

government non-profit

All Episodes

38:03

What Does China Want?

The Impossible State ·

2025/11/24

Dr. 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.

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37:39

South Korea’s Nuclear Submarine Deal: What’s Next?

The Impossible State ·

2025/11/14

Dr. 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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38:39

Upcoming U.S.-ROK Summit and the Future of...

The Impossible State ·

2025/10/22

Dr. 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.

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41:37

What to Expect? New Leadership in Japan

The Impossible State ·

2025/10/15

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. James Brady, and Mr. Tobias Harris discussed the newly elected leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Sanae Takaichi—who is likely to become the next prime minister following a parliamentary vote in mid-October—as well as trilateral relations among the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, foreign policy views, and more.

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43:13

President Lee's First 100 Days

The Impossible State ·

2025/10/06

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Jeonghun Min, and Dr. Hanbeom Jeong discussed President Lee’s first 100 days in office, the implications of his foreign policies for extended deterrence, U.S.–ROK and U.S.–North Korea engagement, and more.

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45:29

Trump and the Autocratic Axis

The Impossible State ·

2025/09/29

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Patricia Kim, and Dr. Thomas Wright discussed the growing cooperation among the autocratic countries of China, Russia, and North Korea as they push back against U.S. influence and the U.S.-led international order; the strategies the United States might leverage to counter this bloc; the implications for U.S. policy and its allies; and more.

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35:36

Is China Eating Our Lunch?

The Impossible State ·

2025/09/15

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Ely Ratner, and Mr. Scott Snyder discussed two of China’s major diplomatic events—the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit and the Victory Day Parade—as well as the Xi-Putin-Kim meeting, Kim Ju Ae's international debut, the growing alignment of hostile actors, and what all these developments mean for the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. and its allies, and more.

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28:01

Are allies or autocrats managing Trump better?

The Impossible State ·

2025/08/29

This episode is a special crossover with our CSIS sister podcast, State of Play.After a busy month of U.S. diplomacy, Victor Cha and Max Bergmann join Will to discuss what East Asian and European allies are learning about summits with President Trump and what patterns are emerging about how President Trump engages with autocrats. "⁠Statesmen’s Forum: His Excellency Lee Jae Myung, President of the Republic of Korea⁠" CSIS, August 25, 2025. "⁠Max and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace

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32:48

The Trump-South Korea Trade Deal: Who Wins?

The Impossible State ·

2025/08/04

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Ms. Yoojin Kim, Dr. Philip Luck, and Mr. Bill Reinsch discussed the implications of this major trade development, including its impact on U.S.–South Korea economic ties; the outlook for allied investment in critical sectors such as semiconductors, automobiles, steel, and shipbuilding; and the broader geopolitical dynamics shaping the deal.

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34:32

US-South Korea Trade Deal and Alliance Modernization?

The Impossible State ·

2025/07/28

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed prospects for a U.S.-South Korea trade deal before the end of the August 1 pause on 25 percent tariffs on all goods from Korea, and ways to modernize the 72-year old alliance under the new Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump administrations, and more.

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33:06

Special Conversation with Senator Andy Kim

The Impossible State ·

2025/07/03

Join us for a bonus episode of the Impossible State Live podcast, recorded during the Looking Forward: The Future of United States–Japan–Korea Trilateral Relations event on June 18, 2025. Senator Andy Kim engaged in a conversation with Victor Cha to discuss the key challenges and opportunities across various sectors that will shape the future of trilateral relations among U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.

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34:35

Getting Started: The New Lee Jae-myung Government

The Impossible State ·

2025/06/24

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Mr. Jake Kwon, and Mr. Wonchul Kim discussed recent political developments under President Lee’s administration, outcomes of the G7 Summit, and the future direction of U.S.–ROK and U.S.–ROK–Japan relations.

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43:45

South Korea's New President

The Impossible State ·

2025/06/09

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Pacheco Pardo, and Mr. Sydney Seiler discussed South Korea’s new president, the foreign policy challenges facing the incoming administration, and the implications of the election for U.S.–ROK relations and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

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41:07

What Are U.S. and NATO Views on China?

The Impossible State ·

2025/05/30

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Ms. Henrietta Levin, and Dr. Luis Simón discussed the Trump administration’s policy toward China, U.S.–China trade relations, the future of U.S. and NATO engagement with China, and more.

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38:20

Is Trump ready to Re-engage with North Korea?

The Impossible State ·

2025/05/06

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Mr. Sydney Seiler, and Ms. Yuki Tatsumi discussed the Trump administration’s policy toward North Korea, the possibility of a second Trump–Kim summit, its future direction in relation to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, and more.

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38:34

Korea, Japan, and the Tariff War

The Impossible State ·

2025/04/21

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Kristi Govella, and Mr. William Reinsch discussed the tariff war, its potential impact on Korea, Japan, and other countries around the world, and more.

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34:22

The Future of U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Cooperation

The Impossible State ·

2025/04/11

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Dr. Michael Green discussed U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation, the Trump administration’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific, and more.

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46:37

The Constitutional Court Decides Yoon's Fate

The Impossible State ·

2025/04/07

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Yoojin Kim, Andrew Yeo, and Darcie Draudt-Véjares discussed the analysis of the Constitutional Court's unanimous decision on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.

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40:57

Can Korea Manage Economic Security and Supply Chain...

The Impossible State ·

2025/03/21

In 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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37:45

When Will the Korean Impeachment Crisis End?

The Impossible State ·

2025/03/07

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha, Ms. Yoojin Kim, and Mr. Eunjoong Kim discussed South Korea's ongoing political crisis, the future direction of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, the possibility of a new South Korean government, and more.

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146 results

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