At age 35, South Korean writer Baek Se-hee has died, her family confirmed on Thursday.
Baek became widely known after publishing her first book, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, in 2018. The memoir explores her experiences with therapy and mental health.
The book presents 12 conversations between Baek and her psychiatrist. The conversations took place over three months and offer an honest look at her struggles.
Baek published a sequel in 2019 titled I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki. Both books explore anxiety, self-harm and dysthymia, also known as persistent depressive disorder.
‘Not alone’
In 2020, Baek discussed the inspiration behind her candid books. She explained that she wanted readers with similar experiences to feel less alone.
“I hoped that people who feel the same would find relief in knowing they’re not alone, and that people unlike me would at least realise that such people exist,” she told K-Book Trends.
Her books attracted attention across Asia before reaching international audiences. Readers praised Baek’s open approach to mental health and emotional struggles.
The subject was especially significant in South Korea, where conversations about mental health can still face social stigma.
The title refers to tteokbokki, a popular Korean dish made with spicy rice cakes. For Baek, the food also represented a simple source of comfort during difficult moments.
“I was thinking of planning my own death, but I got hungry and ate tteokbokki,” Baek told The Straits Times in 2024.
The love that lives on
Baek’s family has not disclosed the cause of her death.
The Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency confirmed that Baek donated her lungs, liver, kidneys and heart. Her donations helped save five lives.
The agency expressed gratitude to Baek and her family for choosing organ donation.
“The love Baek shared at the end of her life – after offering comfort and hope through her heartfelt writing – has become a miracle that gives life to others,” the agency said.
Baek’s books reached readers around the world through their honesty and emotional openness. Her writing gave many people a way to discuss mental health, loneliness and the small comforts of everyday life.
Her legacy will continue through the readers who found comfort and understanding in her work.
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