Ho Jong-man was born in South Gyeongsang Province, located in Goseong County (now in South Korea) during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and later moved to Japan with his family. In 1955, he was involved in the formation of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, also known as Chongryon, and served as chairman of the Kanagawa Prefecture headquarters. In 1959, he was elected chairman of Chongryon. He then served as director of the International Affairs Bureau of the Central Headquarters, and in September 1986, he became the deputy chairman of the Central Committee of the General Assembly.[4] During that time, he worked at Chogin Credit Union, where he had control over personnel affairs.[5] In July 1993, he was promoted to the position of deputy speaker, officially assuming real power.[6]
On May 19, 2012, following So Man-sul's death in February of the same year,[6][7] Jong-man took over as the third chairman of the General Federation of Korea.[2] He later became a deputy member through the 2019 North Korean parliamentary election.[8] He was elected in the 11th election of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea in August 2003,[9] and re-elected in the 12th election of the Supreme People's Assembly in March 2009.[10] In March 2014, he was re-elected in the 13th election of the Supreme People's Assembly, and in May, he was re-elected as chairman of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.[11]
On March 26, 2015, his home was searched along with that of Vice Chairman Nam Seung-woo, as he was an associate of the president of a trading company who was arrested for illegally importing North Korean matsutake, which were subject to economic sanctions.[12] On April 9, the Supreme People's Assembly was held in North Korea, but Nam attended from the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.[13]
In the 2019 North Korean parliamentary election, Jong-man was re-elected from the Gokdong constituency (Myonggan County, North Hamgyong Province).[14]