He is the tenth and current Archbishop of Daegu, having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
He chose as his episcopal motto: Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum, meaning "Both now and always, and unto the ages of ages" (처음과 같이 이제와 항상 영원히).
With Archbishop John Choi Young-su's resignation in 2009, Cho had been acting as the Vicar General of the Daegu until 2010.
On June 25, 2002, Cho was appointed the tenth Archbishop of Daegu by Pope Benedict XVI.
He received the pallium, a vestment worn by metropolitan bishops, from Pope Benedict XVI on June 29, 2011, in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica.