The literary world is mourning the loss of Baek Se-hee, the South Korean author of the 2018 memoir I Want to Die but I Want To Eat Tteokbokki became a cultural phenomenon. The author has reportedly passed away at the age of 35.
I Want to Die but I Want To Eat Tteokbokki is a candid collection of conversations with her psychiatrist about her struggles with depression and its popularity stemmed from its relatability. Originally written in Korean, it found a wider audience following its English translation in 2022, selling over a million copies and being translated into 25 countries.
Known for her honest and nuanced portrayal of mental health, Baek’s work captured the tension between dark depressive thoughts and life’s small joys. As she famously wrote, “The human heart, even when it wants to die, quite often wants at the same time to eat some tteokbokki, too.” The titular South-Korean snack — chewy rice cakes in spicy gochujang sauce — became an emblem of her ability to find lightness amid struggle.
{{/usCountry}}Known for her honest and nuanced portrayal of mental health, Baek’s work captured the tension between dark depressive thoughts and life’s small joys. As she famously wrote, “The human heart, even when it wants to die, quite often wants at the same time to eat some tteokbokki, too.” The titular South-Korean snack — chewy rice cakes in spicy gochujang sauce — became an emblem of her ability to find lightness amid struggle.
{{/usCountry}}Anton Hur, who translated the book into English, shared on Instagram: “Baek Sehee, the author of I WANT TO DIE BUT I WANT TO EAT TTEOKBOKKI has passed away. She was 35. The Korean organ donation authority reports that Sehee 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. My thoughts are with her family.”
Indeed, Baek’s generosity extended beyond her words. The Korean Organ Donation Agency also confirmed that she donated her organs — her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys — helping save five lives. Her sister added that Baek had hoped to “share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope.”
The sequel, I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki, was published in Korean in 2019. Its English translation was published in 2024.