Victor Cha

Victor Cha is the esteemed President of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is also a Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Government at Georgetown University, where he imparts his extensive knowledge of international relations and geopolitics.

In 2021, Dr. Victor Cha was appointed by the Biden administration to the Defense Policy Board, where he provides strategic advice to the Secretary of Defense. His distinguished career in public service includes a pivotal role on the National Security Council (NSC) from 2004 to 2007, where he was responsible for U.S. relations with Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations. Notably, Dr. Victor Cha served as the U.S. Deputy Head of Delegation at the Six Party Talks, earning two Outstanding Service Commendations for his exceptional contributions during his tenure at the NSC.

An accomplished author, Dr. Victor Cha has penned eight influential books, including the award-winning Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States-Korea-Japan Security Triangle (Stanford, 1999), which won the 2000 Ohira Book Prize. His book The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future (Ecco, 2012) was recognized by Foreign Affairs as a “Best Book on the Asia-Pacific for 2012.” His recent works include Powerplay: Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia (Princeton, 2018), Korea: A New History of South and North (Yale, 2023), and the forthcoming The Black Box: Demystifying the Study of Korean Unification and North Korea (Columbia University Press, 2024).

Dr. Victor Cha’s academic credentials are extensive; he is a two-time Fulbright Scholar, a former Olin Fellow at Harvard, and has held fellowships at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, CISAC, and Koret. He currently serves on the editorial boards of ten academic journals and is a co-editor of the Contemporary Asia book series at Columbia University Press. Additionally, he is a board member of the National Endowment for Democracy and a Senior Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute. His insights are frequently featured in the media, as he serves as a foreign affairs contributor for MSNBC and NBC News.

Dr. Victor Cha holds a PhD, a Master of International Affairs (MIA), and a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Oxford University. His multifaceted expertise and commitment to advancing understanding of geopolitics make him a leading voice in the field.

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