Born and raised in Seoul, Korea, Cho became a Christian under the influence of Presbyterian missionaries. He earned his B.A. in accounting from Korea University in 1955 and entered government service.
While Cho was traveling to the United States, a coup toppled the Korean government and he opted to stay in the U.S. He was eventually reunited with his family and continued his studies, receiving his MBA and Ph.D. degrees from New York University. He taught for 29 years at North Carolina Central University.
He helped organize the DuRaleigh Church in 1974, the first Korean Presbyterian congregation in North Carolina. He was ordained a PC(USA) elder in 1979. He moderated his presbytery and served two terms on the General Assembly Council, including a stint as chair in 1996-1997.
His greatest church interest was Presbyterian Men, of which he served as president for many years.
