Baek Se-hee, Author of “I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki,” Dies at 35

---

A Literary Voice Silenced Too Soon

South Korean author Baek Se-hee, whose candid and deeply personal memoir I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki resonated with a global audience, has died at the age of 35. Her death was confirmed by her family earlier this week, though specific details surrounding the cause remain undisclosed. Baek’s untimely passing has sparked widespread grief among readers, fellow writers, and mental health advocates who credit her work with destigmatizing conversations around depression and emotional vulnerability.

Baek’s organ donation—of her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys—has saved the lives of five people, her family announced. Her sister shared in a statement that Baek “wanted to share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope.” That intention, both literal and symbolic, now takes on poignant resonance.

---

A Book That Transformed Mental Health Discourse

Originally published in Korean in 2018, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki became a phenomenon across South Korea before its English translation in 2022 introduced international audiences to Baek’s quiet yet profound introspection. The title alone—a juxtaposition of despair and everyday desire—captured a delicate truth about living with depression: the coexistence of hopelessness and the will to keep going, even for something as humble as a bowl of spicy rice cakes.

The book forms a dialogue between Baek and her psychiatrist over a series of therapy sessions, exploring her enduring struggle with dysthymia, a chronic but milder form of depression. Its conversational tone, unflinching honesty, and accessibility made it stand out in a literary landscape where mental health was long treated as taboo. The memoir’s popularity sparked a new wave of confessional literature in South Korea, inspiring other authors and creators to approach mental illness with candor rather than concealment.

Following its international release, the book topped bestseller lists in regions from East Asia to Europe, selling more than one million copies and being translated into 25 languages. The English edition was praised for preserving the nuanced empathy of the original Korean text, resonating with readers who saw in Baek’s words both pain and perseverance.

---

The Cultural Impact of a Modern Memoir

Baek Se-hee’s work arrived during a time of shifting social attitudes in South Korea, a country that has grappled with some of the highest suicide rates among developed nations and a strong cultural emphasis on emotional restraint. Her memoir opened doors to open discussion: book clubs, online forums, and even high school classrooms began to engage with the text as a tool for understanding the silent battles many face.

At a societal level, the book’s success coincided with South Korea’s expanding interest in mental wellness and self-care culture. This included growing access to therapy, mindfulness programs, and online communities focused on healing. Baek’s story personified this trend, turning personal struggle into a universal conversation.

Critics often compared her influence to that of authors such as Sylvia Plath and Elizabeth Wurtzel—writers who laid bare the complexities of mental illness for a generation unaccustomed to such confessional honesty. Yet Baek’s voice stood apart: her introspection was quiet, even tender, sometimes punctuated by moments of humor and ordinary pleasure. In one passage, she reflected that even among dark thoughts, the allure of everyday joy—like eating tteokbokki—symbolized a small but crucial act of resistance against despair.

---

Generational Resonance and Global Reach

Baek’s book struck a particular chord among millennials and Gen Z readers, both in Asia and abroad. Many described her work as a lifeline, especially for those navigating burnout, isolation, and emotional fatigue in a hyperconnected digital culture.

In South Korea, the publication coincided with a noticeable shift in literary consumption. Young adults, particularly women, were increasingly turning to non-fiction essays and personal narratives as sources of solace rather than traditional fiction. Books that blended psychology, memoir, and self-help—genres Baek mastered fluently—formed part of this movement.

The global reception mirrored that pattern. Western readers, often encountering Korean culture through K-pop, K-dramas, and cinema, found in Baek’s writing a deeply human complement to that cultural wave. Her book bridged a gap between entertainment and empathy, introducing international audiences to a softer yet equally powerful facet of Korean creativity.

---

A Career Rooted in Reflection

Born in 1990, Baek Se-hee studied creative writing at university before spending five years working at a publishing house—a background that honed her literary sensibility and discipline. Her own struggles with depression spanned more than a decade, eventually becoming the foundation for her acclaimed debut. The authenticity in her writing was hard-won: she described her treatment process not as a linear journey toward healing but as an ongoing negotiation with herself, full of relapses, surprises, and small triumphs.

Baek followed her debut with a sequel, I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki, published in Korean in 2019 and later translated into English in 2024. While her first book had traced her conversations with her therapist, the second explored the aftermath—how to live once emotions stabilize, and what it means to maintain a fragile peace. Critics noted its more optimistic undertone, suggesting that Baek was charting a gradual reconciliation between melancholy and acceptance.

---

Reactions from Readers and the Literary World

Across social media, tributes poured in from around the world. Korean and international readers alike expressed heartbreak over her death, often quoting passages from her book that had given them courage or comfort during their own low points. Fellow Korean authors described her as “a voice of her generation,” while mental health professionals credited her work with encouraging younger readers to seek therapy or share their experiences more openly.

In Seoul, bookstores have set up memorial tables stacked with her books, where visitors left handwritten notes and flowers. One card read, “Because of your words, I stayed another day.” The message echoed the sentiment Baek herself often expressed: that even when life felt unbearable, tiny, everyday pleasures could be enough to keep going.

Outside South Korea, literary critics praised Baek’s ability to capture universal truths through a specifically Korean lens. Her language—intimate yet restrained—reflected the broader emotional landscape of a society in transformation, where discussions of vulnerability were slowly entering mainstream discourse.

---

The Broader Context of Mental Health in South Korea

Baek’s death has reignited national discussion about mental health in South Korea, a country where progress has been made but significant stigma persists. Government initiatives in recent years have expanded counseling programs, suicide prevention efforts, and workplace mental health policies. However, experts note that cultural expectations around achievement, hierarchy, and family often prevent individuals from seeking help until crises occur.

The conversation sparked by Baek’s writing contributed to breaking those barriers. Her legacy lies not only in her words but also in the cultural shift she helped accelerate. The renewed public focus following her passing may further encourage policymakers and civic organizations to invest in awareness, education, and accessible treatment.

---

A Legacy of Empathy and Honesty

For many, Baek Se-hee’s story is a lesson in empathy: that vulnerability does not diminish strength, and that expressing pain can illuminate paths toward healing. She reshaped the narrative of mental health in modern Korean culture, infusing it with compassion and relatability rather than fear or shame.

Her books will likely remain standard reading in courses on Asian literature and cultural psychology, as well as in global book clubs where readers continue to find solace in her words. As one Seoul-based literary critic wrote, “Baek translated what countless people feel into sentences that breathe.” That legacy endures beyond her short life.

In her passing, the world has lost a writer who gave voice to the quiet despair that so many endure but rarely articulate. Yet through her words—and through the lives saved by her final act of generosity—Baek Se-hee continues to share her heart, just as she intended.