Baek Se-hee, the South Korean author of the bestselling memoir I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki died at age 35. The details of her death are currently unclear. The author was best known for her honest conversations about therapy and mental health, which led her to become a cultural phenomenon in South Korea and across the world. Per the Korean Organ Donation Agency, Baek donated her organs – heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys – which helped save five lives.
The statement from the agency also included a comment from the author's sister, saying that Baek wanted to "share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope." I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki was published in 2018 and sold more than a million copies worldwide. The memoir was originally written in Korean, but has since been translated in 25 countries.
Who was Baek Se-hee?
Baek was born in Goyang, South Korea in 1990. She had two sisters and was the middle child. Baek received a degree in creative writing from Dongguk University in Seoul and worked at a publishing company for five years. Her most popular book was I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki, but in 2019 she released a sequel, I Want To Die But I Still Want To Eat Tteokbokki.
© InstagramWhat was I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki about?
© InstagramBaek's memoir was deeply personal, shared her struggles with depression and anxiety, and her love of tteokbokki, a popular Korean dish of rice cakes in a spicy sauce. I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki included conversations with Baek's therapist and essays about sexism and self-doubt. In the prologue, the author wrote, "I realized that opening the dark part in my heart was a very natural thing, just like showing the bright part of it."
Mental health is not a topic widely discussed in South Korea. There is still a persistent stigma around mental illnesses. This was one of the reasons why I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki was so revolutionary. In 2023, Baek told PEN Transmissions: "When they said it was like a light was shining into the darkness of their life, I was so surprised. All I'd done was be honest in public, but here was someone comforted by that."
© InstagramFans of Baek's memoir are mourning today. While the author hadn't posted on Instagram since May of last year, fans flooded her last post, commenting "Rest in peace." Baek's friend, Anton Hur, translated her memoir into English and wrote to Instagram on Friday: "The Korean organ donation authority reports that Sehee saved five lives through her donation of her heart, lungs, liver, and both kidneys. But her readers will know she touched yet millions of lives more with her writing. My thoughts are with her family."
© InstagramHis post received thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, mourning the loss of Baek at such a young age. One person wrote: "Her work made me feel seen. So sorry to hear this. May her soul rest in peace." Another wrote: "Her book was the catalyst to one of the most profound discussions on mental health we've ever had! Rest in peace, Se-Hee! We hope they serve tteokbokki and soju in heaven!"
