Best-selling South Korean author Baek Se-hee passed away aged 35 on Thursday. She is best known for her memoir 'I Want to Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki' (2018) and the sequel 'I Want To Die But I Still Want To Eat Tteokbokki' (2024). While the cause of her demise was not immediately known, some reports said that she didn't regain consciousness after brain death.
It was later revealed that she led by example by ensuring her organs were donated. According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, Baek Se-hee's heart, lungs, liver, and both kidneys were recovered at National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital following her demise. She was born in the same hospital in Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul, reports added.
“Older sister, who shared hearts with people through writing. Knowing your kind heart that loved much and could not hate anyone, now rest comfortably in the sky. I love you so much,” read her sibling's parting note, which was released by the hospital. Baek was the eldest among three children.
In one of her recent public events, the author had reportedly opened up about her struggles with dysthymia, a mild but persistent depression, and how she coped.
Baek Se-hee was a graduate in creative writing and worked at a publishing house for five years. The turning point came when the young marketing professional decided to see a psychiatrist who was okay with their sessions being recorded. As a part of her healing, she turned her interactions at the counselling centre into a book.