Victor Cha

Dr. Victor Cha is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is also a Professor of Government at Georgetown University, where he contributes to academia and research on Asian security and international relations. His work has been recognized with the 2000 Ohira Book Prize and multiple fellowships, including two Fulbright Scholar awards, Olin Fellow at Harvard, and Hoover, CISAC, and Koret Fellowships at Stanford. He received his PhD, MIA, and BA from Columbia University, and a BA with honors from Oxford University.

• PhD, MIA, BA – Columbia University
• BA with honors – Oxford University

Cha's research focuses on the geopolitics of the Korean Peninsula, US-Asia relations, defense and security policies, and international security dynamics in Northeast Asia. His expertise informs both academic and policy discussions on regional stability and foreign affairs.

He has authored eight books, including award-winning titles such as Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States–Korea–Japan Security Triangle (1999) and The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future (2012). His upcoming work, The Black Box (2024), addresses Korean unification and North Korea studies.

Notable awards and honors include:

• 2000 Ohira Book Prize
• Two-time Fulbright Scholar
• Olin Fellow at Harvard University
• Hoover, CISAC, and Koret Fellowships
• Two Outstanding Service Commendations from the NSC

Cha has also served on the editorial boards of ten academic journals and co-edits the Contemporary Asia book series at Columbia University Press. His policy experience includes roles in the National Security Council (2004–2007) and advisory positions for the US government.