C.S. Eliot Kang (born in 1962 as ) is a retired American

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

and member of the

Senior Executive Service The Senior Executive Service (SES) is a position classification in the United States federal civil service equivalent to general officer or flag officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service Reform Act of ...

. He served as the Assistant Secretary for the

Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) is a bureau within the United States Department of State responsible for managing a broad range of nonproliferation and counterproliferation functions. The bureau leads U.S. efforts ...

(ISN) at the

U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

from March 2022 to January 2025. From December 2024 to January 2025, January to July 2021, and January 2017 to January 2018, Kang also exercised the authority of the

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs The under secretary of state for arms control and international security (T) is a position within the U.S. Department of State that serves as a senior adviser to the president and the secretary of state for arms control, nonproliferation, and d ...

. He also served as acting ISN Assistant Secretary from January 2021 to March 2022, January 2017 to January 2018, and January to June 2009. Kang is a leading expert on nuclear affairs, including on nuclear safeguards, security, and safety matters as well as denuclearization, counterproliferation, and counter nuclear terrorism issues. Also, he has led on

export control Export control is legislation that regulates the export of goods, software and technology. Some items could potentially be useful for purposes that are contrary to the interest of the exporting country. These items are considered to be ''controlled ...

diplomacy and policies to prevent and roll back the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems as well as to protect critical and emerging technologies from diversion and misuse.

Early life and education

Eliot Kang is the son of Ho Ryun Kang (), a former South Korean government official and retired

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

brigadier general residing in the United States, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

, and other medals by the U.S. Government for his actions during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. Kang's maternal great-grandfather, the late Yim Heung Soon (임흥순), was the chairman of the National Defense Committee of the

Korean National Assembly The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea () is the unicameral national legislature of South Korea. Elections to the National Assembly are held every four years. The latest legislative elections were held on 10 April 2024. The current Na ...

during the

and served as the

Mayor of Seoul The mayor of Seoul () is the chief executive of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul being the capital and largest city of South Korea. The position is historically one of the most powerful in the country, charged with managing an annual budg ...

in 1959 and 1960. After graduating from Lakewood High School in

Lakewood Township, New Jersey Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community, as of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 135,158, its highest decennial count ever and a ...

, Kang earned a Bachelor of Arts from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1984 and then received his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Career

Early career

Before joining the

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

as a William C. Foster Fellow in 2003, Eliot Kang was a tenured professor of political science. He taught international security at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

and

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with c ...

and has held fellowships at the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

and the

Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global econo ...

. He has published extensively; his writings have appeared in such publications as ''

International Organization An international organization, also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is an organization that is established by a treaty or other type of instrument governed by international law and possesses its own le ...

'', ''

World Affairs ''World Affairs'' is an American quarterly journal covering international relations. At one time, it was an official publication of the American Peace Society. The magazine has been published since 1837 and was re-launched in January 2008 as a ...

,'' and ''Comparative Strategy.'' During the late 1980s, Kang worked on Wall Street as an investment banker. He specialized in corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions for

Dillon, Read Dillon, Read & Co. was an investment bank based in New York City. In 1991, it was acquired by Barings Bank and, in 1997, it was acquired by Swiss Bank Corporation, which was in turn acquired by UBS in 1998. History Carpenter & Vermilye Dillon Re ...

& Co., Inc. Kang is a member of the

. He became a Term Member in 1997 and was elected a Life Member in 2002.

Diplomatic career

Bush administration

During the administration of President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, Kang held various senior positions in the

, including in the

Bureau of Arms Control The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) is a bureau within the United States Department of State responsible for managing a broad range of nonproliferation and counterproliferation functions. The bureau leads U.S. effort ...

and

Bureau of Political-Military Affairs The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) is an agency within the United States Department of State that bridges the Department of State with the Department of Defense. It provides policy in the areas of international security, security assist ...

. In the

, he served a
the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Threat Reduction, Export Controls, and Negotiations
He led U.S. efforts to tighten export controls against the proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a Biological agent, biological, chemical weapon, chemical, Radiological weapon, radiological, nuclear weapon, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill or significantly harm many people or cause great dam ...

and their delivery vehicles. Kang also served as the senior nonproliferation policy adviser on the U.S. delegations to the

Six-Party Talks The six-party talks aimed to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. There was a series of meetings with six participating states in Beijing: * China * Japan * North Korea ...

under the leadership of

Christopher R. Hill Christopher Robert Hill (born August 10, 1952) is an American diplomat who had served United States Ambassador to Serbia. Previously, he was George W. Ball Adjunct Professor at Columbia University in the City of New York, the Chief Advisor to the ...

. He participated in the sixth round of the

that produced the 13 February 2007 Joint Statement, resulting in the closure Yongbyon nuclear facility and the invitation of

IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...

inspectors to conduct monitoring and verification measures. In October 2008, he accompanied

on his last visit to North Korea He attempted to work out with the North Koreans a verification protocol for denuclearization as Hill tried to shore up the flagging momentum in the Six-Party Talks process. Return from DPRK via DMZ 10

Obama Administration

During the Presidential transition between

and

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

, Kang served for six months as the Acting

Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation The Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation is the head of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, which is responsible for managing the nonproliferation, counter-proliferation functions of ...

. Afterwards, he continued to focus on nuclear issues, leading U.S. diplomatic efforts in various international nuclear fora and multinational negotiations. In 2009, as President

Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

launched his Nuclear Security Summit process, Kang co-chaired the 2009

Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) is an international organization consisting of 89 countries that have endorsed a set of nuclear security principles for nuclear terrorism deterrence, prevention, detection, and response. It ...

(GICNT) in the Hague. He delivered a personal message from the President committing his full support for the Initiative and welcoming 75 nations that joined it. While serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nuclear Affairs (2011–2016), Kang was accorded by President

the personal rank of

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

in preparation for the February 2015 Diplomatic Conference for the

Convention on Nuclear Safety The Convention on Nuclear Safety is a 1994 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) treaty that governs safety rules at nuclear power plants in state parties to the convention. The convention creates obligations on state parties to implement cer ...

. The international community, divided on the future of nuclear energy, was slow to respond to acute nuclear safety concerns that arose following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The leading international forum addressing nuclear safety,

, was mired in diplomatic deadlock, as anti-nuclear energy political pressure began to build, especially in Europe. Leading the U.S. delegation to the Diplomatic Conference, Kang secured the swift adoption of a consensus approach to resolving the deadlock. The compromise made possible the adoption of the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety, a milestone in the ongoing international efforts to improve nuclear safety as nuclear energy remains viable but continues to be controversial.

Trump administration

On January 22, 2017, Kang was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN). Throughout 2017, he acted as ISN's Assistant Secretary and concurrently exercised the authorities of the

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security The under secretary of state for arms control and international security (T) is a position within the U.S. Department of State that serves as a senior adviser to the President of the United States, president and the United States Secretary of St ...

. During the Trump administration, Kang played a critical leadership role in countering the PRC's

Military-Civil Fusion Military-civil fusion (, MCF) or civil-military fusion is a strategy and policy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with the stated goal of developing its People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a world-class military. Military-civil fusion is a p ...

(MCF) efforts in the nuclear energy sector. Indeed, with the reemergence of great power competition, he also helped to lead U.S. efforts to prevent cutting-edge technologies and know-how from being diverted to U.S. adversaries. In early 2018, under Kang's leadership, the State Department launched th
Multilateral Action on Sensitive Technology
(MAST). He opened the inaugural gathering of like-minded partners to consider ways to protect rapidly developing technologies such as

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

(AI) and

quantum computing A quantum computer is a computer that exploits quantum mechanical phenomena. On small scales, physical matter exhibits properties of wave-particle duality, both particles and waves, and quantum computing takes advantage of this behavior using s ...

from authoritarian regimes that seek to acquire sophisticated technology from advanced industrialized democracies and to use it in support of revisionist goals that undermine human rights and strategic stability.

Biden administration

As ISN's acting Assistant Secretary in the first six months of the Biden administration, for the second time, Kang exercised the authorities of the

. On April 12, 2021, President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

nominated Kang to be the

. A hearing on his nomination was held before the

Senate Foreign Relations Committee The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign a ...

on September 15, 2021. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on March 29, 2022. During the Biden administration, Kang played a key role during the conceptual stage of

AUKUS AUKUS ( ), also styled as Aukus, is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States intended to "promote a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable." Initially announced on 15 September ...

. In the months prior to the initial announcement of AUKUS in September 2021, he led the State Department participation in the trilateral and interagency deliberations and negotiations. And, as he contributed to the implementation of AUKU
Pillar 1
as well a
Pillar 2
Kang played a leadership role in the larger plurilateral and multilateral efforts with U.S. allies and like-minded partners to protect as well as promote strategically relevant critical and emerging technologies such as advanced semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing. In December 2024, Kang was again delegated the authorities of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. He resigned as Assistant Secretary on January 20, 2025.

Awards and recognitions

Kang is a recipient of a State Department Distinguished Honor Award as well as multiple State Department Superior Honor Awards. In 2018, he received from President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

a congressionally established

Presidential Rank Award The Presidential Rank Awards program is an individual award program granted by the United States government to career Senior Executive Service (SES) members and Senior Career Employees within the OPM-allocated Senior-Level (SL) or Scientific-Profe ...

, one of the most prestigious awards in the federal career service, at the Meritorious Executive Rank. In 2022, President Joe Biden conferred on him the rank of Distinguished Executive in the Senior Executive Service.

Personal life

Kang is married to Michelle Kang and has two sons, both born in Illinois.

Selected publications, speeches, testimonies, remarks

Understanding the Past and Navigating the Future of Civil Nuclear Energy,"
Colorado School of Mines, November 13, 2024.
Protecting Emerging Technologies for Peace and Stability in the Indo-Pacific

Testimony of Assistant Secretary C.S. Eliot Kang Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation U.S. Department of State
January 17, 2024.
Keynote Remarks at the Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security International Forum
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokyo, Japan, December 14, 2023.
The Changing Landscape of Nonproliferation and International Security
Timbie Forum, Washington, DC. October 17, 2023.
"Rogue Proliferators: Nonproliferation Threats Posed by Iran, Syria, Russia, and North Korea,"
Foundation for Defense of Democracies, December 1, 2022.
Keynote Address to CSIS-FKI Webinar
Virtual via Zoom, April 3, 2023.
Remarks for the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy’s Webinar on the Nuclear Suppliers Group
February 8, 2022.
Statement of Dr. C.S. Eliot Kang Nominee to be Assistant Secretary of State For International Security and Nonproliferation
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, September 15, 2021.
"Nuclear Weapons, International Security, and Non-proliferation in the 2020s,"
in Maiani L., Jeanloz R., Lowenthal M., Plastino W. (eds)
International Cooperation for Enhancing Nuclear Safety, Security, Safeguards and Non-proliferation
'' (Springer Proceedings in Physics, Vol 243), pp. 35–39.

Brussels, Belgium, May 5, 2017. *“Japan and Inter-Korean Relations” in ed. Samuel Kim,
Inter-Korean Relations: Problems and Prospects
' ( Palgrave, 2004), pp. 97–116.
“Restructuring the US-South Korea alliance to deal with the second Korean nuclear crisis,”
''

Australian Journal of International Affairs The ''Australian Journal of International Affairs'' is an academic journal that was established in 1947 as ''Australian Outlook''. It is published by Routledge on behalf of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. Its forerunner was the ...

'' Vol. 57, No. 2 (July 2003), pp. 309–324. * “The Developmental State and Democratic Consolidation in South Korea,” in ed. Samuel Kim,
Korea’s Democratization
' (

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

, 2003), pp. 220–244. * “Institutionalizing the Regulation of Inward Foreign Direct Investment,” in eds. Andrew P. Cortell and Susan Peterson,
ALTERED STATES: International Relations, Domestic Politics, and Institutional Change
' (

Lexington Books Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...

, 2002), pp. 169–193. * (Lead author, with Y. Kaseda
“Korea and the Dynamics of Japan’s Post-Cold War Security Policy,”
''

'' Vol. 164, No. 2 (Fall 2001), pp. 51–59. * “North Korea and the U.S. Grand Strategy,”
Comparative Strategy
' Vol. 20, No. 1 (January–March 2001), pp. 25–43. * “''Segyehwa'' Reform of the South Korean Developmental State,” in ed. Samuel S. Kim,
Korea’s Globalization
' (

, 2000), pp. 76–101.
“The Four-Party Peace Talks: Lost Without a Map
”
Comparative Strategy
' Vol. 17, No. 4 (October–December 1998), pp. 327–344.
“US politics and greater regulation of inward foreign direct investment,”
''

'' Vol. 51, No. 2 (Spring 1997), pp. 301–333.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, C. S. Eliot Ambassadors of the United States Cornell University alumni Living people 1962 births United States assistant secretaries of state American politicians of Korean descent Biden administration personnel Lakewood High School (New Jersey) alumni People from Lakewood Township, New Jersey 21st-century New Jersey politicians