The literary world is mourning the loss of South Korean author Baek Se-hee. Who passed away on October 16, 2025, at the age of 35. Her death comes as a profound shock to millions of readers globally who found solace and companionship in her raw, honest memoir. I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki.
While the cause of her death has not been disclosed, Baek’s final act was one of immense generosity. As the Korea Organ Donation Agency confirmed she donated her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, saving the lives of five people. It is a poignant final chapter for a writer whose life’s work was dedicated to sharing her heart and inspiring hope.
The Paradox of a Generation: Tteokbokki as a Lifeline
Baek Se-hee’s 2018 debut memoir was an unlikely international sensation. The book sold over a million copies and translators rendered it into more than 25 languages. Its success lay in its arresting, paradoxical title, which captured the dual nature of living with mental illness.
The Memoir’s Core Message
The book is an unflinchingly candid chronicle of Baek’s decade-long experience with dysthymia, a form of persistent mild depression. It is structured around actual transcripts of her conversations with her psychiatrist, interwoven with her own reflective micro-essays.
The title’s reference to tteokbokki—a spicy, comforting Korean street food—is key to the book’s enduring message. It crystallized the profound truth that despair and desire can coexist.
“The human heart, even when it wants to die, quite often wants at the same time to eat some tteokbokki, too.”
This line became a global cultural touchstone. It spoke directly to readers who understood the paradox of high-functioning depression: performing calmness and competence in public while “rotting on the inside,” yet still feeling the persistent, small craving for life’s simple, mundane pleasures.
A New Form of Resilience
Baek’s writing was revolutionary in its simplicity and refusal to offer a neat solution. Rather than romanticizing pain or promising a triumphant recovery. She normalized the “messy middle”—the space where healing is slow, non-linear, and often involves painful contradictions. She taught a generation that resilience isn’t always a dramatic victory; sometimes, it’s just reaching for lunch.
Baek’s Legacy: From Blog Notes to Global Movement
Baek Se-hee, born in 1990, studied creative writing before working for five years at a publishing house. Her journey to becoming a literary voice began not in the world of publishing, but on her personal blog.
The Power of Public Honesty
After a dysthymia diagnosis, Baek posted excerpts from her therapy sessions online. The reaction then surprised her. Readers, especially those in societies where mental health stigma is high, rushed to thank her, saying her honesty felt “like a light was shining into the darkness of their life.”
This overwhelming response spurred her to compile the notes into her first memoir, followed by the 2019 sequel, I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki. Her work shattered the silence, opening up crucial public dialogue about anxiety, self-doubt, and the quiet exhaustion of mental illness across Asia and the world.
A Final Act of Compassion
The Korea Organ Donation Agency shared the news of her passing at a hospital in Goyang.
Which released a statement recognizing her final, compassionate choice. Her family conveyed that Baek had always wished to “share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope.”
Her translator, Anton Hur, who expertly brought her intimate voice to the English language, shared a touching tribute. Noting that while her organ donation saved five lives physically, “her readers will know she touched yet millions of lives more with her writing.”
Baek Se-hee’s legacy endures as a beacon of vulnerability, a companion for the lonely, and a testament to the powerful connection forged when one person finds the courage to share their truth. Her words will continue to offer comfort. Proving that the desire for simple, ordinary joys—like a warm bowl of tteokbokki—is a powerful reason to persist.
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