Baek Se-hee, the celebrated South Korean author whose candid memoir about depression became an international bestseller, has passed away at the age of 35. The Korea Organ Donation Agency confirmed that Baek made the generous decision to donate her organs, ultimately saving five lives through the donation of her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. The agency announced this information on Thursday, though specific details surrounding the circumstances of her death have not been publicly disclosed.
Baek gained worldwide recognition with her 2018 breakthrough book "I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki," a deeply personal work that combined elements of memoir and self-help writing. The book provided an unflinchingly honest account of her battle with dysthymia, also known as persistent depressive disorder, and detailed her therapeutic journey through sessions with her psychiatrist. What set the work apart was its raw authenticity and Baek's commitment to breaking down the significant stigma surrounding mental health issues in Korean society.
The impact of her writing extended far beyond Korea's borders, resonating with readers across diverse cultures and languages. According to her publisher, the two-part series has sold approximately 600,000 copies within Korea alone. The book's universal appeal led to its translation and publication in more than 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Poland, with total worldwide sales exceeding 1 million copies. The book's success in international markets was particularly notable in the UK, where it sold 100,000 copies within just six months of its release.
In a heartfelt statement released to the press, Baek's younger sister reflected on her sibling's life mission and character. "She wanted to write, to share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope," the sister said. "Knowing her gentle nature, incapable of harboring hatred, I hope she can now rest peacefully." This sentiment captured the essence of what drove Baek as both a writer and a human being.
Reflecting on her work's global reach in a previous interview with The Korea Herald, Baek expressed both amazement and concern about the universal nature of emotional pain. "Even across different languages and cultures, I realized that the feeling of a wounded heart is the same everywhere," she observed. "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.'"
Beyond her flagship memoir, Baek continued to explore themes of human connection and emotional vulnerability in her subsequent works. She collaborated with other writers on books including "No One Will Ever Love You as Much as I Do," published in 2021, and "I Want to Write, I Don't Want to Write," released in 2022. She also actively engaged with her readership through talk concerts and lectures, creating spaces for open dialogue about mental health and personal struggles.
Baek's literary journey culminated with the publication of her first work of short fiction, "A Will from Barcelona," which was released in June. This marked a new creative direction for the author, showcasing her versatility as a writer while maintaining her commitment to exploring the complexities of human emotion and experience. Her death represents a significant loss to both Korean literature and the global conversation about mental health awareness.
