Kang was born in Gainesville, Georgia, to South Korean immigrant parents, who had a profound influence on his life. His early years were spent in California, where he developed a strong sense of identity and a passion for the arts. He attended the University of California, Riverside, where he initially pursued a degree in law, but ultimately chose to follow his true calling in acting.
Despite his parents' initial disappointment with his decision, Kang persevered and landed his first major role in Better Luck Tomorrow (2002),playing the character of Han Lue, an aloof gang member and cousin of Virgil Hu. This marked the beginning of a successful acting career, with notable roles in The Motel, where he played Sam Kim, and The Fast and the Furious film franchise, appearing in Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and F9, as well as the short film Los Bandoleros.
Kang's impressive filmography also includes roles in Jet Li's War (2007),where he played an FBI agent, and Forbidden Warrior, in which he portrayed Doran, the son of Genghis Khan. He also had a small role in the action movie Live Free or Die Hard and appeared in Walter Hill's Bullet to the Head (2013),opposite Sylvester Stallone.
In addition to his film work, Kang has made a significant impact on television, with notable roles in the Korean drama parody "Tae Do (Attitudes and Feelings, Both Desirable and Sometimes Secretive)" on MADtv, where he played the narcissistic President Gin Kew Yun Chun Yew Nee, and the short-lived crime procedural Gang Related on FOX, where he portrayed FBI Agent Tae Kim. Both of these roles required him to speak Korean, a language he is conversant in, and were written specifically for him by creator Chris Morgan, who had worked on the Fast & Furious film franchise.
