[citation needed] She studied Korean literature at Ewha Womans University and graduated with a Master's degree.
[4] Since 2002 Jeong Kkeutbyeol has variously served as a researcher at the Society of Ewha Korean Language and Literature, an adjunct professor in the Creative Writing department of Chugye University for the Arts, an honorary professor at the Korean Language and Literature department at her alma mater, and an assistant professor in the Practical Language and Literature department of Open Cyber University.
[9][10] A year later, in 1989, her critical essay "A Cold Parodist's Despair and Inquiry" (서늘한 패로디스트의 절망과 모색) won The Dong-A Ilbo New Writer's Contest.
[11][12] Her first collection of poetry, My Life, a Birch Tree (자작나무 내 인생, 1996) was highly regarded by critics and fellow writers alike.
[18] Jeong's poems are known for their rich imagery and use of language,[19] particularly in regards to their descriptions of nature, their linguistic creativity, and their use of poetic devices.