The third son of a Korean migrant from the Masan area of Korea, Kang was born and grew up in Kumamoto in Kyūshū.
His encounters with the families of migrant workers in Germany had a lasting influence on his understanding of Zainichi Korean identity.
He has written extensively on the subject of Zainichi Korean identity, nationalism and its problems, and the relationship between Japan and North Korea.
Kang is widely known as a media commentator in Japan, and has presented a number of TV documentary programs on issues including contemporary Korean society and the problems of nuclear power.
The second, a novel centred on the events of the 11 March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, is a profound reflection on the human response to death, and on the search for meaning in the face of suffering and loss.