Jeong Myungseop was born in Seoul. After working as a salaryman at a major conglomerate and a barista, he currently works as a full-time writer and gives public lectures. He believes that writing shines when discussing clandestine or vanished spaces that others cannot see. He writes across genres and subjects ranging from historical novels to detective novels, from apocalypse to zombies. His books include the historical mystery novel Jeokpae, Birth of the Great Detective, Detective of Gaebongdong, Children of the Collapsed Apartment, Keepsakes of the Deceased, Hansung Freemason, The Boy Who Shouted Mansei, The Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai, We Must Survive, The Moon-Shattered Night, Miss Sontak, Joseon Firefighters, Children of the Dark Apartment, The Cat Detective, Children of the Reservoir, and Two Reporters in Namsangol. He has also written various historical novel series as well as the essay collection, You Must Sign a Contract to Become a Writer. Jeong won the first Jikji Literary Award for Novels in 2013 and the NEW Creator Award at the 21st Busan International Film Festival in 2016.