Kang was born in Gainesville, Georgia, to South Korean immigrant parents and spent his adolescence in California. He attended the University of California, Riverside. While in college he chose acting over law school, a decision which was met with disappointment from his parents due to their concerns over the lack of Asians on American television and lack of job prospects.
His first major role was in Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), in which he played Han Hue, an aloof gang member and the cousin of Virgil Hu (played by Jason Tobin). He was one of the stars in The Motel, in which he played Sam Kim. He played the recurring character Han Lue in The Fast and the Furious film franchise, appearing in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and F9 as well as the short film Los Bandoleros. He also had a role in Jet Li's film War (2007), playing an FBI agent, and was featured in the movie Forbidden Warrior as Doran, a son of Genghis Khan. He had a small