Baek Se-hee was a South Korean author who became globally recognised for her unflinching and honest writing about mental illness. She trained in creative writing at university and worked at a publishing house for five years. Diagnosed with dysthymia, a persistent type of mild depression she was in therapy for almost a decade. This lengthy and difficult sojourn was the basis for her best-selling memoir, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, which is an account of her therapy and depression. Born in 1990, she unfortunately passed away recently.
Baek's memoir, originally self-published in 2018 and then picked up by a top literary imprint, became a South Korean and international cultural phenomenon after the book was translated from Korean into English in 2022. The book has sold over 2 million copies and has been translated into over 25 languages. It struck a chord worldwide with its realistic depiction of life with depression, alternating between bouts of hopelessness and the enjoyment of everyday pleasures, summed up by the title which refers to the desire for spicy rice cake food, tteokbokki.
While not even largely recognised as financially successful or as a billionaire, Baek Se-hee made a decent living out of her published work and related activities as a creative writer and mental health speaker. She is not found among South Korea's richest people, and her financial ambition seemed more directed towards her profession and activism than at amassing great wealth.
Baek was the middle child in a family of three sisters, raised in Goyang in Gyeonggi Province of South Korea. Little information about her family is widely reported, but her sister released a moving statement at Baek's death, highlighting the hope to bring hope and connection through her work. Baek shared her life with her rescue dog Jaram.
Details regarding Baek Se-hee's dating life or boyfriend are not in the public domain, indicating she kept this side of her life confidential. The spotlight regarding her literary work and mental health activism continued to be firmly on these aspects.
Baek Se-hee died at 35 years old yesterday on 16th October, 2025. The cause of her death hasn't been publicly disclosed. She made one last selfless move by donating her organs, saving five lives, demonstrating her everlasting wish to assist others even after she was gone. Her efforts continue to encourage and provide comfort to millions of those struggling with mental health concerns worldwide.
All-in-all, Baek Se-hee was a talented author who turned her own struggles with depression into a common message of hope and strength, leaving readers all over the world forever changed. Her work and life continue to be a source of hope and mental illness awareness.
