Who was Baek Se-hee? All about author of bestselling memoir ‘I want to Die, But I want to eat Tteokbokki’ as she dies at 35

On October 16, 2025, South Korean writer Baek Se-hee died at the age of 35, as reported by the Korea Organ Donation Agency. The agency reported that she had donated her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, which saved five lives. The agency did not release the cause of her death.

Baek Se-hee's background, career and challenges

Baek Se-hee worked at a publishing firm as a social media director for around five years, and during her employment, she began a course of treatment with a psychiatrist for chronic depression (also known as dysthymia). As she began to receive treatment, she recorded notes of her and her therapist's dialogues first on a blog. Some of her posts became popular, and she began to receive messages indicating that readers identified with her posts. Some of these messages contributed to her decision to compile her findings into a memoir.

Her mental illness did not present overnight or without strain. It was the culmination of years of struggle with the experience of doubt, self-loathing, and fleeting moments of pleasure. In her work, she addressed being, on occasion, a person who wanted to die while also wanting to live and celebrate small things like tteokbokki, the spicy Korean rice cake that she enjoys.

In 2018, she produced her first memoir as a self-publication, which subsequently went out to more readers. This book, named I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, has sold over 1,000,000 copies in multiple countries and in many languages. In 2019, the author published I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki which created a sequel as part of her processing of her emotional landscape.

Many of her pieces are described as memoir and self-help. Several readers expressed feeling less alone reading her honesty about therapy, mental health and daily life.

Baek Se-hee's death, legacy and remembrance

Baek Se-hee passed away on 16 October 2025. The news became public when the Korea Organ Donation Agency made a statement on 17 October. Her sister, Baek Da-hee, made a public tribute. She said Baek Se-hee wrote from her heart and hoped to inspire dreams and hope in others. She said Baek had a kind heart and loved deeply.

Anton Hur, who translated her work into English, also paid tribute. He noted that through her writing, she touched millions of lives. Baek’s books remain widely read and cited when people talk about mental health, therapy, and surviving emotional pain. Her style: raw, unfiltered, and accessible, helped many people find language for their own suffering.

So many readers have posted about how her writing helped them feel less alone. Her voice became symbolic of honesty and healing. Though she died young, her words live on. Her gift of her own organs also means she lives literally in parts of others. That is who Baek Se-hee was: a writer who bore her heart openly, shared her struggles, and sought to help others through her work. Her death is deeply sad. But her voice, her truth, and her generosity of life will continue.

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