Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Los Angeles, California, where his family settled in 1978. His father is a minister. Cho graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California in 1990. He then attended the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1996 with a BA degree in English and proceeding to teach English for some time at Pacific Hills School in West Hollywood, California. He is married to actress Kerri Higuchi. They are currently expecting their first child, a boy. He has also recently been involved in the making of a website which promotes the participation in activities in Hong Kong, this has been due to his passion in helping the community. Many community service activities can be found at his website.