Korea Chair

In early 2009, a consortium of American and Korean benefactors provided seed money for a permanent endowment at CSIS, a leading bipartisan think tank in Washington. The purpose of this endowment is to support a Korea Chair holder who will build an active policy research program on Korea in Washington.

For many years, there has been a greater focus on Japan and China in Washington policy circles. CSIS believes this critical time in the U.S.-ROK alliance demands a high-profile presence focused on the future relationship. The CSIS Korea Chair will:

• Conduct independent policy research relevant to the U.S.-ROK alliance
• Convene public and private sector stakeholders in Washington and Seoul
• Advance a greater understanding of Korean policy issues to policymakers and the public at large

CSIS appointed Dr. Victor Cha, former senior White House official and Georgetown University professor, as its first Korea Chair holder. Chong-Moon Lee, a member of CSIS’s Board of Trustees and leading American businessman and philanthropist, has agreed to serve as chairman of CSIS’s Korea Advisory Board.

Korea in Depth 

• Listen to Victor Cha's analysis of President Obama's trip to China on the Diane Rehm Show, November 2009. 
• The U.S. Asia Pacific Council interviews Victor Cha on North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
• Victor Cha's article North Korea: The Next Generation (pdf) is published in The Washington Quarterly, October 2009.

• Victor Cha testifies before the Senate Foreign relations committee on North Korea (pdf), June 2009.

• North Korea: What Next? presentation at the Carnegie Council, June 2009: Video, Audio, or Transcript.