The progenitor of the clan is considered to be Cho Ch'un (조춘; 趙椿), who lived during the reigns of King Yejong and Injong of Goryeo.
His daughter, Royal Consort Cho, was married to Crown Prince Wang Wŏn (later King Chungseon).
[2] When King Chungseon began his second reign as king in 1308, the Pyongyang Cho clan was listed as one of the fifteen great ministerial families (재상지종; 宰相之種; chaesang chi chong) that were eligible for marriage with the royal House of Wang.
[2][3] The Pyongyang Cho clan would continue to hold influence in the late Goryeo and early Joseon eras.
[5] The 2015 South Korean census recorded 50,480 individuals who were members of the Pyongyang Cho clan.