Cho, who is of Korean American descent, was raised in Knoxville and went into stand-up comedy in 1986. He attended University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1989 to pursue his career, but always with the intent of returning to his roots in Tennessee. Cho often uses his childhood experiences as an Asian American in the South in his comedy. "I'm an Asian with a Southern accent," remarks Cho, "To a lot of people, that right there is funny." He frequently makes remarks about the church he attends, but not in a mocking way. In interviews, Cho has stated that he is a practicing Christian.