Jeong Seo Kyeong

Biography

Jeong Seo-kyeong, also romanized as Jung Seo-kyung, is a South Korean screenwriter, born in 1975. She studied at Seoul National University before transferring to the Korea National University of Arts, where she specialized in screenwriting. She began her career with the short film Electricians in 2002.

Jeong became closely associated with acclaimed director Park Chan-wook, beginning with Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). Their collaboration continued through I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006), Thirst (2009), The Handmaiden (2016), and Decision to Leave (2022).

One of her most celebrated works is The Handmaiden (2016), which she co-wrote with Park Chan-wook. The psychological thriller was inspired by Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith and earned Jeong international recognition for its screenplay.

Jeong also expanded into television, writing the acclaimed dramas Mother (2018) and Little Women (2022). Little Women, starring Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, and Park Ji-hu, reimagines Louisa May Alcott's classic novel as a contemporary Korean mystery drama.

Her screenplay for Decision to Leave earned major recognition, including Best Screenplay at the 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 58th Daejong Film Awards.

Jeong's writing is noted for its complex female characters, psychological depth, suspense, romance, and unconventional storytelling. Her filmography spans thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, crime, mystery, and drama, making her one of South Korea's prominent contemporary screenwriters.