She is best known for her works with critically acclaimed director Park Chan-wook such as Lady Vengeance (2005), I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006), Thirst (2009), The Handmaiden (2016), and Decision to Leave (2022).
She also joined a film club where she fully immersed herself in the works of esteemed directors such as Ingmar Bergman, Abel Ferrara, Roman Polanski, and Stanley Kubrick.
Initially, Jeong didn't plan on becoming a director, but changes in the academic system required her to make a film in order to graduate.
After winning the Cannes Grand Prix in 2003 for Old Boy and deciding to focus on a more female-centric film, Park remembered Jeong's spark and peculiar sensibility and approached her to write a script draft.
It grossed an impressive sum of $7,382,034 USD in its opening weekend and accumulated a total of $22,590,402 USD in South Korea alone.The film's popularity was further highlighted by its ranking as the seventh highest-grossing domestic release in South Korea that year and the eighth highest-grossing release overall with a nationwide ticket sale of 3,650,000.
[3][15] Yim intended to direct a gripping suspense drama that revolved around a married American expatriate falling for a Korean femme fatale.
Park and Jeong sought to write and direct from a darkly comical and provocative script involving vampire film tropes.
While some viewers felt that Park had successfully lived up to the high expectations set by his previous works, others found the film's plot and visuals too provocative.
[23] Ultimately, Thirst received the Jury Prize at Cannes, sharing the third place award with British director Andrea Arnold's teen drama Fish Tank.
Fujiwara's plan is to gather information from heiress Lady Hideko (acted by Kim Min-hee) whom he intends to marry, manipulate, and steal her wealth.
However, Fujiwara doesn't anticipate the strong attraction that develops between Sook-hee and Hideko, and this intense connection adds layers of complexity to an already intricate and constantly evolving story.
Jeong has consistently shown a deep interest in homosexuality, which is not limited to her involvement in this film but extends to her general curiosity on the subject.
[27] Moreover, Jeong sought her friend's input on various iterations of the scripts, ultimately valuing their perspective and incorporating their feedback into the creative process.
[36] Jeong collaborated with director Lee Hae-young to co-write the remake of Johnnie To's 2012 gritty mainland crime saga, Drug War.
The film, titled Believer, retains the core elements of To's original work; however, while faithfully recreating certain iconic scenes, Lee and Jeong made substantial changes to the plot and character dynamics in other areas.
However, when Jeong mentioned that the main character would be an elementary school student, her eldest child responded with excitement, changing their initial "No" to "Really?
[44][45] The movie's plot revolves around a married detective who becomes involved with Song So-rae, a widow and a suspect in her husband's death, while investigating the case.
Additionally, it was selected as South Korea's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards,[50] making it to the December shortlist.
It follows the story of three sisters (acted by Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, and Park Ji-hoo) who grew up in poverty but bravely confront the wealthiest and most influential family in Korea.
Jeong didn't write a synopsis before beginning work on the drama, which initially caused confusion among the actors regarding their characters' emotions and the overall plot.
Kim was well known for her strong dedication, fully committing herself to projects and even sacrificing meals and sleep for them; she rarely had time to read scripts from other works.
Knowing Kim's availability after finishing Vincenzo, Cho Moon-joo from Studio Dragon promptly presented her with Little Women's script.
[58] Ultimately, Jeong successfully assembled a remarkable team, consisting of 70% women across the cast and crew, marking a significant milestone in the history of drama production.
[25] If my film contains femininity, childlike innocence, fairytale beauty, optimism, excitement, gratitude, and useless fantasies, it comes from Jeong Seo-kyung.
[65] The combo of Park and Jeong has since created memorable female characters in the history of Korean cinema: Geum-ja from Lady Vengeance, Young-shin from I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK, Tae-ju from Thirst, Hideko and Sook-hee from The Handmaiden, and finally Song Seo-rae from Decision to Leave are just a few examples.
Critics have observed that the women of Park and Jeong's scripts choose to live authentically rather than being objectified, and they fearlessly explore their own desires, leaving a lasting impact on watchers; additionally, these characters often find themselves in extreme situations.
For Korean moviegoers who are accustomed to male-dominated plots, the sheer presence of these female characters has not only shocking but also a breath of fresh air.