October 13, 2008

As rumors swirl about the health of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the regime appears intent on breaking out of the denuclearization agreement made at the Six Party Talks. Asian Studies director Victor Cha discusses the state of Kim Jong-il's health and the next President's biggest challenge regarding foreign policy towards North Korea. Professor Cha also discusses his new book, "Beyond the Final Score: the Politics of Sport in Asia."

Victor D. Cha (Ph.D. Columbia, BA/MA Oxford) is Director of Asian Studies and holds the D. S. Song-Korea Foundation Chair in Asian Studies and Government in the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Dr. Cha returned to Georgetown in the fall 2007 semester after having served from 2004 to 2007 as Director of Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council. Dr. Cha was also Deputy Head of the U.S. delegation to the Six Party Talks from 2006 to 2007.