Beloved South Korean writer Baek Se-hee, whose bestselling memoir I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki touched millions worldwide, has died at the age of 35. The news of Baek Se-hee dies has left readers and fans mourning the loss of an author whose candid exploration of depression helped normalize mental health discussions across cultures.
Baek Se-hee dies after inspiring millions
Baek’s 2018 memoir, a deeply introspective record of her conversations with her psychiatrist, became an instant classic in South Korea and later gained global recognition following its English translation in 2022. The book sold over a million copies and was translated into 25 languages, celebrated for its raw honesty and relatability.
The exact circumstances of her death remain unclear, but the Korean Organ Donation Agency confirmed that Baek donated her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, saving five lives. Her sister said Baek had always wanted to “share her heart with others through her work and inspire hope.”
A voice for the anxious generation
Baek’s most famous line, “The human heart, even when it wants to die, quite often wants at the same time to eat some tteokbokki too,” became a symbol of quiet resilience — reflecting the contradiction of despair and life’s small pleasures.
Born in 1990, Baek studied creative writing and spent five years working at a publishing house before releasing her groundbreaking memoir. Her second book, I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki, was published in 2019 and translated into English in 2024.
Translator Anton Hur paid tribute to her on Instagram, writing that while Baek’s organs saved five people, “her readers will know she touched millions more through her writing.” Fans flooded her social media with messages of gratitude, calling her words “a light in the darkest nights.”
Through her gentle yet profound storytelling, Baek Se-hee turned private pain into public empathy — leaving behind a legacy of compassion and courage that will endure far beyond her years.
