PERSON: Victor Cha

Senior Advisor and Director of Georgetown’s National Resource Center for Asian Studies

Professor Victor D. Cha is director of Asian Studies and holds the D.S. Song Chair in the Department of Government and School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. In 2009, he was named as Senior Adviser and the inaugural holder of the new Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He left the White House in May 2007 after serving since 2004 as Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council. At the White House, he was responsible primarily for Japan, the Korean peninsula, Australia/New Zealand and Pacific Island nation affairs.

Dr. Cha was also the Deputy Head of Delegation for the United States at the Six Party Talks in Beijing, and received two Outstanding Service commendations during his tenure at the NSC. Some of his most famous books are: Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States-Korea-Japan Security Triangle; Nuclear North Korea: A Debate on Engagement Strategies Beyond the Final Score: The Politics of Sport in Asia; The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future and Powerplay: Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia.

He serves as an independent consultant, and has testified before Congress on Asian security issues. He has been a guest analyst for various media including CNN, ABC Nightline, NBC Today Show, CBS Morning Show, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, BBC, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and National Public Radio.

— georgetown.edu