He has served as the governor of South Chungcheong Province since 2018.

Yang Seung-jo was born in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province to a Confucian scholar, Yang Tae-seok and his mother, Lee Jong-ki.

He passed the 37th judicial examination in 1995, completed 27 training courses and worked as a lawyer.

In 2004, Yang Seung-jo ran for a Member of the National Assembly in Cheonan and he won the election.

He served as the chief of staff for Chairman of the Democratic Party Sohn Hak-kyu and served as the head of the election campaign committee for Sohn Hak-kyu during the 2012 Democratic Party presidential primary.