Augustus Cho

Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on March 11, 2008 - 2:44pm.
Tags:

Office District Status
U.S. Representative U.S. House 4 Candidate
Party In Office Since Term Ends
Republican
Level of Government  
 
Date of Birth Birthplace Now Lives In
August 10, 1958 Seoul, Korea, Chapel Hill, NC

Synopsis

Augustus Cho ran for Congress in 2008. Over the years, the Korean immigrant has been a Presbyterian minister, at-home father, self-employed author, Tae Kwon Do instructor and chairman of the Orange County Republican Party. In 2007, he announced he would run for the Fourth Congressional seat held by Democratic Rep. David Price. He lost to B.J. Lawson in the Republican primary.

Trivia

He used to run a tae-kwon do school. 

Endorsements

State Sen. Neal Hunt; state Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam; former state Rep. Russell Capps; Will Towne, founder and first president of Triangle West Republican Club; Chuck Campbell, Christian radio personality; Bob Appleby, former Durham County Republican Party chairman

Biography

Marital Status
Married
Spouse
Jan-Ya Lee
Children
Son, Alasdair; daughter, Courtney

Augustus Cho was a candidate for the Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008.

Early Life and Education 

Sung-uk Cho was born Aug. 10, 1958, in Seoul, South Korea, to Heung Sun Cho and Yun Soon Kim. His father was a contractor and his mother was a store owner. 

His mother moved to the United States in 1966, and he joined her in 1968. They lived in Washington, D.C., until 1973, when they moved to Durham.

He became a U.S. citizen while in high school.

He graduated from Sanderson High School in Raleigh in 1977.

He then studied economics at UNC-Chapel Hill, earning a bachelor's degree in 1982.

He then worked in marketing and licensing in Los Angeles and New York for several years.

He then applied to Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, earning a master's degree in divinity in 1990.

He took his stepfather's last name when his mother remarried, but later had his name legally changed back to Cho. He later adopted the nickname "Augustus."

Professional Career

From 1984 to 1996, he worked as a Presbyterian minister in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

He then stayed home with his kids while his wife went to law school.

In 1999, he started Cho's Tae Kwon Do studio in Wilmington.

He is now a self-employed author. 

Political Career

In 2006, he was one of seven applicants to fill a vacancy on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education seat. 

In 2007, he served as county chairman of the Orange County Republican Party. In that role, he opposed a local referendum for a transfer tax and issued press releases tweaking Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' lifestyle.

He serves on the transportation board of the town of Chapel Hill and has previously served on the town's parking lot committee and the Northern Area Task Force. 

In December, he announced he would run for the Fourth Congressional seat held by Democratic Rep. David Price. 

He ran on a platform of opposing Islamic terrorism, securing the border, taking care of the environment and reducing spending.

He lost to B.J. Lawson in the Republican primary. 

Research and reporting by Ryan Teague Beckwith. 

Occupation

Author
Self-employed





Community Involvement:
Appointed to the Chapel Hill Transporation Board, Northern Area Task Force and Downtown Parking Committee.

Contact Info

Email: choforcongress@gmail.com

Campaign headquarters
P.O. Box 17032, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27516
(919) 636-4040



Education

Bachelor of Arts
UNC-Chapel Hill
Graduated: 1982		 Master of Divinity
Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa.
Graduated: 1990

Military

Not specified.

Links

http://www.choforcongress.com








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