On 25 June 1970, Cheong was appointed the second Bishop of Cheongju by Pope Paul VI.
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He served as Archbishop of Seoul, from 1998 until retirement in 2012, having previously served as Bishop of Cheongju from 1970 to 1998, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2006.
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He received his episcopal consecration on the following 3 October from Archbishop Kinam Ro, with Bishops James Pardy, MM, and Peter Han Kong-ryel serving as co-consecrators, in the Church of the Holy Family in Cheongju.
Gwannae-do included the administrative districts of Yangju, Hwangju, Gwangju, and Haeju; Jungwon-do included Chungju and Cheongju; Hanam-do replaced Gongju; Gangnam-do replaced Jeonju; Yeongnam-do replaced Sangju; Sannam-do replaced Jinju; and Haeyang-do replaced Naju and Seungju; the three other new provinces were Yeongdong-do, Panbang-do, and Paeseo-do.