The Impossible State

Victor Cha literally wrote the book called The Impossible State about North Korea, and he now hosts the CSIS podcast of the same name. Cha served on the National Security Council under George W. Bush and was once the U.S. pick for ambassador to South Korea, so his Rolodex is stacked with people who have sat across the table from North Korean negotiators. Episodes run about 35 to 48 minutes and bring in former intelligence officials, State Department veterans, South Korean policy experts, and academics who have spent decades tracking the Kim regime. The format is straightforward -- Cha frames the topic, introduces his guest, and then has a focused conversation. There is no dramatic music or storytelling gimmicks. This is a policy discussion, and it wears that identity proudly. The show works best when it tackles specific questions: what does North Korea’s latest missile technology actually mean for deterrence, how does the China-DPRK relationship shift when Beijing has its own economic pressures, or what leverage does Washington actually have left after decades of failed negotiations. With 150 episodes and a 4.5-star rating across 89 reviews, it has been running consistently since 2018. Some listeners flag an occasional Washington-centric tilt in perspective, which is fair -- this is a Beltway think tank production. But if you want the perspective of people who have actually shaped North Korea policy rather than just commented on it, this is hard to beat.