The Impossible State

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha moderated a discussion with Dr. Tom Wright 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.