After making his professional debut for the Horangi side, in 2003 Cho decided to join the army team Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix on a loan spell, so he could finish his military duty and play more regularly.

He originally played as a right wing-back or a right full-back at the Big Bird Stadium, competing for a regular spot with Song Chong-Gug: however, in 2007, due to a long-term injury of defensive midfielder Kim Nam-Il, he switched his position to replace his team-mate.

On 13 February 2011, Cho joined Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande on a free transfer, which made him the second Korean player to play for the club after Park Ji-Ho.

Failing to fully recover from that injury, he eventually lost his spot in the team to fellow Korean Kim Young-Gwon, who had completed a transfer move in August of the same year.

After finally regaining full form, the South Korean took a considerable part in Seoul E-Land's season, as the team finished in fourth place before losing their playoff match to eventual winners Suwon FC, due to ranking rules.

On a side note, this last chapter of his permanence at the club is also remembered for a curious episode of bad luck: at the 89th minute of the seventeenth match of the 2017 season, while playing against Gangwon FC, Cho tried to smother Im Chan-ul's attempt to cross into Suwon's penalty box, but his header curved the ball's trajectory unpredictably and eventually turned into a bizarre own-goal, setting the final score of the game into a 3–3 draw.

[16] On 31 March 2019, Cho announced his retirement from professional football through a special ceremony, hold at Suwon World Cup Stadium shortly before an official league match against Incheon United.

[18] In these circumstances, although Cho might have not left a very significant mark as an active player, he actually did it off the pitch: in fact, on 4 January 2021, he donated his entire incentive, consisting of 20-million won (roughly corresponding to $18,365), to the club for their sportive achievements in 2020, declaring that the special fee would be invested in their youth development sector.

The following day (on 5 January), he addressed his donation in a video for his own YouTube channel, explaining what had brought him to that particular decision: moreover, in the same occasion he announced his definitive retirement from professional football at 37 years old.

Dutch manager Jo Bonfrère gave the Blue Wings affiliate his first senior call-up and made him start in an unofficial friendly against North Korea on 14 August 2005, as well as hosting him on the bench three days later, in a 0–1 loss against Saudi Arabia, a match regarding the final round of the Asian qualifications to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Despite this and despite being selected by Advocaat in the 23-men squad heading to Germany, he ended up not making a single appearance in the world tournament, with his side being eliminated in the group stage and their manager resigning just a few moments after.

[22] Cho kept competing for a starting spot in the national team, with Huh Jung-moo trusting him despite some injury problems (one of which sustained during a friendly match against Iraq) and limited playing time at his new club Wigan: this way, the versatile player could help South Korea qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.