Assessment of the Nuclear Programs of Iran and North Korea

This book addresses the proliferation cases of Iran and North Korea, providing snapshots of the currently known nuclear programs. Analyses failures and weaknesses of past verification activities, and makes innovative suggestions for ways forward.

Dr. KANG is currently a visiting professor at Lee Byong Whi Nuclear Energy Policy Center, Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Kang has considerable expertise in technical analyses of nuclear issues, including nuclear fuel cycles, spent fuel management, and nuclear nonproliferation. Kang has authored and co-authored papers on the cooperative threat reduction program in North Korea, verification of plutonium production in North Korea, proliferation-resistance of advanced fuel cycles, spent-fuel storage, plutonium disposition, converting Russian icebreaker reactors from HEU to LEU fuel, etc. Kang also has contributed many popular articles to South Korea's newspapers and magazines about North Korea's nuclear-weapon program and South Korea's spent-fuel issues. Kang received a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Tokyo University, Japan, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in nuclear engineering from Seoul National University, South Korea. Kang was a researcher at KAERI in 1990-1993. Kang worked in Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security in 1998-2000 and Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University in 2006-2008. Before joining to the KAIST, Kang spent two years at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University as a visiting scholar. Kang is a member of the International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM), a group of independent experts from 17 countries that analyzes programs and proposals to advance nuclear disarmament and reduce the dangers of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism.