Choi Yang-do was born in Seoul, South Korea. He studied agricultural chemistry at Seoul National University (1972-1976) and graduated with a BS degree. From 1976 to 1978 he received a MS degree in biological science from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and earned 
his Ph.D. in biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology from 1981 to 1985 at Northwestern University in Evanston.