In their first match against Japan on 11 December 2017, Kang made a fine top corner save in a 4–0 defeat as the North Koreans ended the game with nine men.
[citation needed] Kang would remain the starting goalkeeper for the under-23 side and made his competitive debut in the AFC U-23 Championships against Thailand and kept another clean sheet in a 1–0 victory.
Against Palestine in the next game, Kang would be at fault for the opener as his attempted clearance was hit straight at Oday Dabbagh, allowing him to score into an empty net.
The North Korean's 2–0 defeat to the United Arab Emirates meant that they failed to qualify for the knockout stages for a second consecutive tournament since 2016.
[citation needed] Kang's performance at both club and international level rewarded him with a senior call-up[6] as North Korea travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the 2019 Asian Cup.
At the end of the match, Kang was seen remonstrating with referee Rustam Lutfullin alongside captain Jang and Kim Kyong-sok leading to headlines criticising the behaviour of the North Koreans.
[7] Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Kang was recalled back to the senior squad as the starting goalkeeper, replacing An Tae-song.
[citation needed] On 21 March 2024 in a qualifying match against Japan, while losing 1–0 thanks to Ao Tanaka's early strike, Kang produced a number of saves to prevent the Koreans from conceding more, receiving praises from Japanese press.