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The Impossible State

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Rating
★★★★★
4.5
from
91 reviews
This podcast has
162 episodes
Language
English
Date created
2018/05/25
Latest episode
2026/10/09
Average duration
42 min.
Release period
19 days

Description

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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Brewing Korea Crisis? Mines, Missiles, & POWs
2026/10/09
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.
Lips and Teeth? China, North Korea, and the Korean Peninsula
2026/09/25
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.
Poisoning the Well: U.S.-Korea Trade Tension
2026/08/03
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.
What is North Korea learning from Russia's war in Ukraine?
2026/07/01
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.
How Should the United States Counter the CRINK Axis?
2026/06/12
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.
The CRINK Challenge: Implications for North Korea and Global Security
2026/06/10
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.
Cold Peace: Engaging DPRK to Reduce Risk and Threat
2026/05/27
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.
Privileged But Powerless
2026/05/13
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.
Korean Messiah
2026/05/05
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.
Is the Pivot to Asia Dead?
2026/04/23
In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha moderated a discussion with Dr. Zack Cooper and Dr. Kristi Govella on examining Washington’s failed pivot to Asia, expectations for Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi’s visit to Washington, and its potential impact on the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific region, and broader regional dynamics.
The BTS Homecoming: Does Korea's Soft Power Work?
2026/04/08
In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha moderated a discussion with Dr. Jinaeng Choi and Timothy Martin to discuss the recent BTS comeback concert, how Korean culture around the world can impact Korea's soft power, how it may influence global audiences, and more.
The Four Talent Giants
2026/03/02
In this episode, Mr. Sydney Seiler moderated a discussion with Stanford University Professor Gi-Wook Shin on his recent book, The Four Talent Giants, and how these four “talent giants” countries achieved economic power and sustained momentum by responding to risks and challenges such as demographic crises, brain drain, and geopolitical tensions, drawing on his Four Bs theory—brain train, brain gain, brain circulation, and brain linkage—to explain national strength and success.
Korea Update: NDS, Coupang and Congress
2026/02/13
In 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.
North Korea in 2026: Intentions, Realities, and Response
2026/02/02
Sydney 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.
Recalibrating U.S.-ROK Alliance: Strategic Priorities for 2026
2026/01/16
In 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.

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4.5 out of 5
91 reviews
★★★★★
Joshua Xi 2025/12/12
Excellent
Excellent and very topical podcast, which analyzes policy and current events from a variety of different perspectives. While on the whole very good, t...
★★★★★
RJG179 2024/07/18
Very, Very Good
This show excels at covering the Korean Peninsula and the sphere relevant to it. Indispensable information and analysis; just top notch.
★★★★★
jrogercamp 2022/05/05
Burgeoning Missile Crisis
Thanks for the timely and valuable insights!
★☆☆☆☆
book bear 2000 2019/08/29
Talking about things that they have NO idea!!!
I mean this is THE WORST stuffs EVER!!! Don't waste time to listen this junk!
★☆☆☆☆
ZackOconner1981 2019/03/02
Disappointing
The consistent personal attacks on Trump completely undermine the program’s claims to expertise and objectivity. This is disappointing because CSIS c...
★★★★★
Johnny GreenLine 2018/08/19
Excellent
Best of all the CSIS podcasts!
★★★★★
Goldbam 2018/06/22
Best Analysis
Impossible State has the nonpartisan take on North Korea that everyone who cares about this set of issues should hear.
★★☆☆☆
jeff.hoening 2018/06/20
Know-It-All Trump Haters for Listening Enjoyment!
Although thoughtful, like most "news" podcasts, very left-leaning, inside-the-beltway, conventional "wisdlom". This show features interviews with NoK...
★☆☆☆☆
Dmhnnnnalll 2018/06/13
Very liberal
Has given Trump no credit. We can still pull some troops not all.
★★★★★
Evan Ramstad 2018/05/26
Concise take on the latest twists in NK diplomacy
Great to hear directly from the CSIS experts, who have all been in the room at the table with North Koreans in the past, as we enter a new era of dipl...
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