ABOUT ME
I am deputy director and fellow with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where my research focuses on North Korea, the U.S.-South Korea alliance, inter-Korea relations, G7 reforms, the weaponization of economic interdependence and Chinese economic coercion.
At CSIS, I am responsible for the U.S.-Korea NextGen Scholars Program, the Capital Cable, the ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum, and databases for Beyond Parallel, a microsite providing data, analytic tools and new evidence on Korean unification.
My work has been published in Comparative Connections, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Quarterly.
I have co-authored chapters in the book Black Box: Demystifying the Study of Korean Unification and North Korea (Columbia University Press, 2024) with Victor Cha.
My new book, China’s Weaponization of Trade: Resistance through Collective Resilience with Victor Cha and Ellen Kim, features original data research on the weaponization of economic interdependence by China against 18 countries and 400+ companies, with over 600 cases since 1997. It will be coming out with Columbia University Press in January 2026.
I earned a BA (cum laude and with honors) in international studies from American University.
In my spare time, I work at the best Chinese-American take-out spot in Washington, D.C.
China’s Weaponization of Trade
In recent years, China and the United States have each turned economic interdependence into an instrument of coercion, using their dominant positions in international trade to push states and firms to comply with their political goals. What is distinctive about this form of economic pressure, and how can other countries fight back?
This groundbreaking book explores the weaponization of economic interdependence and its implications for the international order through a wealth of new and original data on China’s economic statecraft. Victor D. Cha, Ellen Kim, and Andy Lim examine how and in what ways the United States and China have deployed economic coercion, focusing on China’s extensive use of this tactic over the past three decades. They analyze a vast data set that includes more than 600 cases of China’s economic bullying of states, companies, and individuals in North America, Asia, and Europe. Cha, Kim, and Lim propose a multilateral strategy of “collective resilience” to counter intimidation, showing how targeted states can band together, leverage trading relationships, and threaten retaliation.
Synthesizing new insights from unique trade data with international security expertise, this timely book sheds new light on how China exercises economic power—and it provides a playbook to deter bullies and rebalance the global order.
BOOK CHAPTERS
The United States-Republic of Korea Alliance
In this chapter with Victor Cha and Marie DuMond, we used new data to understand the extent to which the alliance is threatening to North Korea and elicits military belligerence from the regime. Where this discussion has been most apparent in current policy relates to U.S. and South Korean joint military exercises (JMEs). We test the proposition of whether U.S.-ROK joint military exercises are destabilizing to peace on the Korean peninsula by introducing new data about the impact of the exercises on North Korean provocations and U.S. diplomacy.
Unification Data
In this chapter with Victor Cha and Marie DuMond, we present the first-ever study that defines quantifiable metrics for how to think about Korean unification. We attempted to measure the level of concern, the priorities, and the level of knowledge of Americans, Chinese, South Koreans, Japanese, and Russians regarding ten critical issues associated with unification. We also feature microsurvey data on the untrodden ground of how and whether North Koreans desire unification as well as their views on nuclear weapons.
DATA
I manage nine databases and maps on CSIS Beyond Parallel on a variety of topics related to North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, and Donald Trump, including:
North korean provocations
The most comprehensive database of North Korean provocations since 1958, with over 450 entries.
Map of North Korea’s Garbage balloons
An interactive map documenting over 30 waves of North Korean garbage balloons sent into South Korea in 2024.
MAP OF NORTH KOREAN MUNITION ROUTES TO RUSSIA
An interactive map showing possible North Korean munition routes to Russia by rail.
donald trump’s skepticism of us troops in south korea since 1990
A dataset of 122 statements showing Donald Trump’s skepticism of the utility of US troop commitment to allies.
North Korean Provocations and U.S.-ROK Military Exercises
Dataset examining relationship between North Korean provocations and US-South Korea military exercises between 2005 to 2016.
WRITING
I have co-authored over 15 articles and book chapters on the North Korean threat, Korea-Japan bilateral relations and Chinese economic coercion, including:
Flagrant Foul: China’s Predatory Liberalism and the NBA
Introduces the concept of predatory liberalism by looking at how China weaponizes market interdependence to pursue political goals through case studies such as the Chinese boycott of the NBA.
Slow Boil: What to Expect from the DPRK in 2024
Warned with data evidence there will be an uptick in North Korean belligerence this year, as they tend to do so during US election years.
Comparative COnnections on KOREA-JAPAN relations
Triannual articles on Korea-Japan relations with Ji-Young Lee looking at developments in the bilateral relationship through the lens of economic, political and security developments.
Garbage, Balloons, and Korean Unification Values
Explained why North Korea’s trash balloon campaign is a manifestation of Kim Jong-un’s new decoupling policy and a preemption of the new South Korean unification policy focused on the values of freedom and human rights.
Andy Lim 