Baek Se-hee: Korean Author of Bestselling Depression Memoir 'I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki' Dies at 35

Baek Se-hee, renowned South Korean author of the globally acclaimed memoir 'I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki', has passed away at the age of 35.

While the specific circumstances of her death remain unclear, the Korea Organ Donation Agency has reported that Baek made a significant final contribution by donating her vital organs - heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys - saving five lives in the process.

Her 2018 memoir, which evolved into a worldwide cultural phenomenon, explored the nuances of depression through a compilation of her therapeutic conversations with her psychiatrist. Initially written in Korean, the book resonated globally for its raw honesty.

The memoir has been translated into more than 25 languages and published across numerous countries including the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Poland. With over one million copies sold worldwide, Baek's candid approach to mental health gained widespread critical acclaim, particularly for her efforts to challenge the stigma surrounding mental illness in Korea.

In one poignant passage from her book, Baek wrote: "The human heart, even when it wants to die, quite often wants at the same time to eat some tteokbokki, too."

Following the success of her debut memoir, Baek published a sequel in Korean in 2019, with its English translation released in 2024.

Baek's younger sister shared a heartfelt statement: "(Baek) wanted to write, to share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope. Knowing her gentle nature, incapable of harbouring hatred, I hope she can now rest peacefully."

Born in 1990, Baek pursued creative writing studies at university before working in publishing for five years. She frequently expressed her hope that her writing would offer comfort and recognition to readers.

In an interview with The Korea Herald, Baek reflected: "Even across different languages and cultures, I realised that the feeling of a 'wounded heart' is the same everywhere. It still amazes me that my story has touched someone else's heart. At the same time, it's sobering to think that so many people carry deep inner pain and that it takes great courage just to say: 'I'm not okay.'"

Anton Hur, who translated Baek's work into English, paid tribute to the author, noting that her writing had touched millions of lives around the world.