South Korean writer Baek Se-hee, whose bestselling memoir ‘I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’ brought mental health into the mainstream of Korean and global literary discourse, has died at the age of 35.

While the circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, the Korea Organ Donation Agency confirmed that Baek donated her heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, saving five lives. Her sister, in a statement released by the agency, reportedly said Baek had long hoped “to share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope”.

Baek's 2018 debut memoir, originally published in Korean, became a cultural phenomenon for its raw, honest portrayal of her struggle with dysthymia, a form of chronic depression.

Structured around a series of conversations with her psychiatrist, the book resonated deeply with readers for its candid depiction of mental health and its nuanced portrayal of conflicting emotions. Its most quoted line, “The human heart, even when it wants to die, quite often wants at the same time to eat some tteokbokki, too,” encapsulated the internal contradictions many face when dealing with depression.

The book’s impact quickly spread beyond Korea. Following the release of its English translation in 2022, it garnered international acclaim and has since been translated into over 25 languages, selling more than a million copies worldwide. A sequel, ‘I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki’, was released in Korea in 2019, with the English edition published in 2024.

Born in 1990, Baek studied creative writing at university and worked for five years at a publishing house before turning to authorship full-time. Her personal experience with mental illness shaped her literary voice, offering comfort and solidarity to a generation grappling with similar struggles.

Baek Se-hee’s work is widely credited with helping to normalise mental health conversations in South Korea and beyond. Her legacy lives on in the lives she touched, both through her writing and her final act of generosity.