The Impossible State

Latest Episodes:

Covid-19 in North Korea Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz are joined by Dr. J. Stephen Morrison of CSIS and Dr. Kee Park of Harvard Medical School to talk about Covid-19 in North Korea. They discussed what we know and don't know about the lockdown and the severity of the health situation there, and what to expect moving forward with how the Biden administration and the international community will deal with the pandemic in North Korea.

Biden’s Korea Policy Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

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.

The Outlook for North Korea's Economy Post-Pandemic Dec 18, 2020

Show notes

On December 1st, the CSIS Korea Chair held a special discussion on the state of North Korea’s economy today and what scenarios could be expected for its economy in the future. The panels examined the impact of sanctions, Covid-19, and natural disasters on North Korea’s trade, industry, markets, and finance sector. The experts also explored potential scenarios for North Korea’s economy in the event of a diplomatic breakthrough on denuclearization. In this episode, we highlight the keynote address that opened up the session from Mr. Alex Wong, deputy assistant secretary for North Korea in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and deputy special representative for North Korea, U.S. Department of State.

Please click here to watch the full online event.

U.S.-Korea-Japan Trilateral Cooperation Under a New Biden Administration Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Andrew and Dr. Victor Cha invite a panel of guests to discuss the state of trilateral relations between Japan, South Korea, and the United States. To analyze what events have shifted the relationships, we are joined by Dr. Michael Green, Dr. Eva Pejsova, and Dr. Ramon Pacheco-Pardo.

Dr. Green is senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at CSIS, and director of Asian Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Dr. Pejsova is senior japan fellow at the Institute for European Studies of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (IES-VUB), and associate fellow at the French Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS). Dr. Pacheco-Pardo is Korea Chair at the Institute for European Studies of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (IES-VUB) and reader (associate professor) in International Relations at King's College London.

A New Strategy for North Korea Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

Nuclear South Korea? Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

Bonus Episode: The Capital Cable with Caroline Kennedy Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

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.

Democratic Erosion Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

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.

North Korea's Triple Whammy Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

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.

Bonus Episode: The Capital Cable with Tae Young-ho Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected