Victor Cha

The U.S. and South Korea need to salvage their tariff and investment agreement—for the sake of the alliance | Fortune Seoul and Washington must see disagreements on investment and immigration as an opportunity to fine-tune a trade agreement they can both tolerate.

🚨 @victordcha.bsky.social’s latest op-ed is out now on Fortune.

In this piece, Dr. Cha emphasizes that the U.S. and South Korea must salvage their tariff and investment agreement — for the sake of the alliance.

Read more 🔽

Renewed China-DPRK Diplomacy: Symbolism or Substance? CSIS experts address critical questions regarding Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s recent visit to North Korea and its significance for bilateral ties.

China's #2 official just visited North Korea for the first time since 2019. What does it mean?

@victordcha.bsky.social, Bonny Lin, @andysaulim.com & Truly Tinsley analyze the renewed North Korea-China ties and what's at stake.

📊 New on @csis.org 🔽

What is China building in the PMZ? CSIS Beyond Parallel and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative commercial satellite imagery and automatic identification system (AIS) data analysis provide t...

China has deployed three maritime structures in the Korea-China PMZ—one management platform and two aquaculture cages.

What does this mean for bilateral relations? Join @csis.org @VictorDCha.bsky.social for key insights on this developing situation.

www.youtube.com/watch?featur...

Get Ready for a Big, Bold, and Very Bad North Korea Deal Trump wants a win, and Kim has more leverage than ever.

To make a deal with Pyongyang, Washington will likely need to make significant compromises, writes @victordcha.bsky.social‬. “For example, Trump might abandon the goal of denuclearization in favor of arms control—a long-sought North Korean objective.”

This about sums up what it’s like to work in this administration.

@korea.csis.org & @geopolitics.csis.org president @victordcha.bsky.social discusses South Korea’s “quiet crisis” of leadership and the vacuum in wake of President Yoon’s impeachment, plus the impact of President Trump’s tariffs while the ROK seeks to elect its next leader over the next two months.

YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies South Korea’s Quiet Crisis and Trade with the U.S.

This morning, @csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social joined @handrewschwartz.bsky.social to discuss South Korea’s “Quiet Crisis” of leadership and the vacuum in wake of President Yoon’s impeachment & impact of President Trump’s tariffs while the ROK seeks to elect its next leader over the next two months

YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies The Constitutional Court Decides Yoon's Fate | The Impossible State

Had a blast getting super wonky with @korea.csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social Andrew Yeo and Yoojin Kim on how to unpack the Korean impeachment process and what it means for the country going forward! www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vuw...

The Korean President has been impeached. What does it all mean? Watch the Impossible State podcast LIVE for analysis from journalists and experts!!

South Korea's Political Crisis | Projects | CSIS Tracking the political, economic and social impact of South Korea’s political instability and constitutional crisis.

You can find all of our analyses and multimedia products on South Korea's political crisis in this handy page that we curated for you.

cc: @csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social @geopolitics.csis.org

The Quiet Crisis in the U.S.-Korea Alliance The confluence of months-long political stasis in Seoul and the start of the second Trump administration have precipitated a quiet crisis in the U.S.-Korea alliance that neither side will admit to.

As we await Verdict day in Korea, a bigger crisis looms. See my piece today on the quiet crisis in the alliance @csis.org @korea.csis.org www.csis.org/analysis/qui...

CSIS Names Kristi Govella as Senior Adviser and Japan Chair The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) today announced Dr. Kristi Govella has been named senior adviser and Japan Chair.

Great to have the amazing @kristigovella.bsky.social, and our NextGen scholar join @csis.org as the new Japan Chair! An amazing addition to the growing team at @geopolitics.csis.org.

Shared Threats: Indo-Pacific Alliances and Burden Sharing in Today’s Geopolitical Environment The Indo-Pacific is vital to U.S. security, but alliances must modernize to counter evolving threats. As China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea challenge stability, allies must increase burden-sharing a...

Yesterday, @csis.org @geopolitics.csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding shared threats between the U.S. and allies in the Indo-Pacific.

Read/watch the full testimony below:

Join the Korea Society for a conversation on acting and activism with actress and North Korean human rights activist Minnie Mills.

Featuring an introduction provided by @victordcha.bsky.social

📅 4/16 | 4 PM EDT

Sign up here:
www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-c...

5 Books Every K-Pop Fan Should Read Giaae Kwon, author of 'I’ll Love You Forever: Notes From a K-Pop Fan,' recommends titles for her fellow bbasoonis.

The #pinkbook just got a recommendation as "required reading" for a book every #kpop fan should read!

Have you read @victordcha.bsky.social and Ramon Pacheco Pardo's book on Korea yet?

More here: yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

Russian security chief Shoigu arrives in North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un | NK News This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates. (Last updated at 11:47 a.m. KST on March 21 with additional details throughout) Top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu arrived in P...

Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu arrived in North Korea today for talks with Kim Jong-un.

Our @korea.csis.org team with @victordcha.bsky.social have been following this growing cooperation closely, below are some of our policy analyses and satellite imagery studies 🔽

Major Munitions Transfers from North Korea to Russia - Beyond Parallel Ammunition supplies have become critical in the Ukraine war. CSIS studied hundreds of commercially available satellite images since August 2023 on the continuing transfer of large quantities of muniti...

In February 2024, @korea.csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social published the most detailed report yet documenting major munitions transfers from North Korea to Russia through satellite imagery analysis of Tikhoretsk Munitions Storage Facility, Mozdok Munitions Storage Facility and Yegorlykskaya Airfield

5 Books Every K-Pop Fan Should Read Giaae Kwon, author of 'I’ll Love You Forever: Notes From a K-Pop Fan,' recommends titles for her fellow bbasoonis.

Breaking news (sort of) #thepinkbook got endorsed on Bustle as “required reading” for all #kpop fans! @rpachecorpacheco.bsky.social tells me this is a big deal!!! www.bustle.com/entertainmen...

Tomorrow, join the @mortaracenter.bsky.social and the Georgetown University Asian Studies Program for the launch of "The Black Box: Demystifying the Study of Korean Unification and North Korea" by @victordcha.bsky.social

3/14 | 12-1:30 PM EDT

Register here:
events.georgetown.edu/mortara/even...

How should the U.S. fight back against China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea?

@csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social breaks down the growing threat and how the U.S. should respond to the authoritarian onslaught.

Read here: www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/mem...

U.S. Allies and Partners under the Trump Administration | CSIS Events Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department for a discussion of the ways in which U.S. allies and partners in the West and in the Asia-Pacific region are navigating the new administ...

Including our @csis.org experts on #Bluesky:

@victordcha.bsky.social
@willtodman.bsky.social
@maxbergmann.bsky.social
@msnegovaya.bsky.social
@ilariamazzocco.bsky.social

+ these fantastic programs!
@geopolitics.csis.org
@seasia.csis.org
@mideast.csis.org
@erep.csis.org
@korea.csis.org

The prosecutor-turned-President’s arrest is a fate not unknown to Korean presidents historically. The timing re: economic conditions and the alliance however is less forgiving than in 2004 and 2016 (last 2 impeachments)

Struck me as a little off-pitch as well. Perhaps a pre-arranged call. Might have looked worse to call off the scheduled call than not. But agree that it’s not a good optic.

South Korea’s Crisis Is Nowhere Near Over Ongoing political chaos will entrench the country’s economic and social problems—and leave Seoul woefully unprepared for Trump.

"Korea’s national crisis is far from over," warns @korea.csis.org expert @victordcha.bsky.social, noting that it could "leave Seoul woefully unprepared to address Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency."

Read the full analysis in @theatlantic.com ⤵️

South Korea’s Crisis Is Nowhere Near Over Ongoing political chaos will entrench the country’s economic and social problems—and leave Seoul woefully unprepared for Trump.

My take on Korea crisis for @theatlantic.com Predictive timeline - snap elections June-July 2025? World could look very different by then w/ @donaldjtrump-maga.bsky.social in office & Korea leaderless on sidelines www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

ICYMI

We hosted another great discussion on South Korea's political crisis, President Yoon's martial law, his impeachment & what's next this morning with the great @darciedraudt.bsky.social, Bruce Klingner, moderated by @csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social.

Watch here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVpa...

What does the impeachment of South Korea's president mean for the country and its allies? Sign in or register to see your station everywhere you enjoy NPR.

Chatted w/ @npr.org @allthingsconsidrd.bsky.social about the Korea political crisis. The political dysfunction/death struggle moves to the Constitutional Court now @csis.org www.npr.org/2024/12/14/n...

📆 12/17
🕚 11:00 AM ET

Join us on Tuesday as we discuss South Korea's political crisis, President Yoon's martial law, impeachment and much more.

Speakers:
1️⃣ @darciedraudt.bsky.social
2️⃣ @victordcha.bsky.social
3️⃣ Bruce Klingner

Watch here: www.csis.org/events/impos...

YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies What Happened in South Korea? | The Capital Cable #102

Although this show was filmed before the 2nd impeachment vote, there are still plenty of great insights on the martial law, regional impact and much more from @victordcha.bsky.social, @myhlee.bsky.social , @sydseiler.bsky.social and Amb. Mark Lippert.

“Trump will come firing out of the gate on Jan. 21. We could see troops draw down in Korea and Germany, blanket 10 percent tariffs on allies...but Korea will be leaderless and the alliance will be significantly disadvantaged.”
- @csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social