The literary community and readers worldwide are mourning the loss of Baek Se-hee, the acclaimed South Korean author whose groundbreaking memoir "I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki" broke new ground in discussions about mental health. The 35-year-old writer passed away on Thursday, with her death confirmed the following day by the Korea Organ Donation Agency. While the agency did not reveal the specific cause of death, they noted that Baek's final act of generosity saved five lives through organ donation, donating her heart, lungs, liver, and both kidneys.
Published in 2018, "I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki" became a cultural phenomenon in South Korea, where mental health remains a sensitive and often taboo subject. The memoir presented candid conversations between Baek and her therapist, offering readers an intimate look into her battle with dysthymia, a chronic form of depression. Through these therapeutic dialogues, Baek explored how she found meaning in small, everyday pleasures that could coexist with deep emotional pain and sorrow.
The book's impact extended far beyond South Korea's borders, resonating with readers globally who found comfort in Baek's honest portrayal of mental health struggles. The memoir has been translated into 25 languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide, making it an international bestseller. The success led to a sequel, "I Still Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki," which delved even deeper into the author's experiences with suicidal thoughts and her ongoing journey toward healing.
Tributes from mental health professionals and literary figures have highlighted Baek's significant contribution to changing perceptions about psychiatric care. Peter Jongho Na, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, shared his thoughts on social media, saying, "I remember thinking, 'What a well-crafted title,' and reading this book through to the end. It gave me hope that perceptions of psychiatry in Korea were starting to change. They say a person's legacy is made of all the lives they've touched, changed and helped – My heart aches knowing that someone who reached so many, like Baek, is no longer with us."
Anton Hur, the International Booker Prize-nominated translator who brought both of Baek's memoirs to English-speaking audiences, emphasized the author's lasting impact beyond her organ donation. "Se-hee 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," Hur wrote. His translations made Baek's work accessible to a broader international audience, allowing her message of hope and resilience to reach readers who might be struggling with similar mental health challenges.
Baek's editor at Bloomsbury, the British publishing house that brought her works to the English-speaking world, reflected on the author's ability to create meaningful connections through her writing. "To read her books is to want to talk about them. She sought connection, always, and wanted her words to be of help and consolation. She achieved this and so much more," the editor stated. This emphasis on connection and communication became a hallmark of Baek's approach to writing about mental health, making difficult topics more approachable for everyday readers.
In June 2025, just months before her death, Baek published "A Will from Barcelona," which would become both her debut work of fiction and her final book. The novel follows Sam Lee, a 35-year-old writer whose first book becomes a million-seller, and Paola, who translates the Spanish edition of Lee's work. As their stories intertwine, Lee must confront complex feelings of inferiority and admiration toward Paola, emotions she ultimately needs to reconcile in her journey toward self-acceptance.
The parallels between the fictional Sam Lee and Baek herself were not coincidental. In an interview with her publisher, Wisdom House, Baek revealed her intentional approach to creating distance while exploring personal themes. "I wanted to accept who I was, but also break free. That's why I simply changed the character's name from my own," she explained. "By doing that, I could take one small step away, as if to say, 'I'm writing this story, but this doesn't represent all of me.'" This technique allowed her to examine her own experiences while maintaining some emotional protection through the fictional framework.
Baek Se-hee's death represents a significant loss for both Korean literature and the global conversation about mental health awareness. Her willingness to share her most vulnerable moments helped countless readers feel less alone in their struggles, while her accessible writing style made complex psychological concepts understandable to general audiences. Through her organ donation, she continued her legacy of helping others even in death, embodying the same spirit of generosity and care for others that characterized her writing throughout her brief but impactful career.
