Tributes paid to South Korean author Baek Se-hee, who has died at 35 and donated organs to save lives
Author Baek Se-hee was known for her bestselling memoir I Want to Die but I Want To Eat Tteokbokki
It has been revealed in a statement by the Korean Organ Donation Agency that author Baek See-hee, who has died at 35, has donated her organs to save lives. Her heart, lungs, liver and kidneys have helped save five lives.
According to The Korea Herald, Baek See-hee’s younger sister said: “(Baek) wanted to write, to share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope. Knowing her gentle nature, incapable of harboring hatred, I hope she can now rest peacefully.”
The synopsis for her memoir I Want to Die but I Want To Eat Tteokbokki reads: “Baek Sehee is a successful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeing a psychiatrist about her – what to call it? – depression? She feels persistently low, anxious, endlessly self-doubting, but also highly judgemental of others.
“She hides her feelings well at work and with friends; adept at performing the calmness, even ease, her lifestyle demands. The effort is exhausting, overwhelming, and keeps her from forming deep relationships. This can't be normal.”
Tributes have been paid to Baek See-hee on her Instagram page and one fan wrote: “May your soul rest in peace,” whilst another wrote: “Writer, I just hope you're resting in peace there🙏.”
The Facebook page for Archers Network paid tribute to Baek See-hee and wrote: “Her memoir gained international recognition for its candid exploration into therapy and self-refection, resonating deeply with readers for its honest portrayal of mental health and helping to destigmatize conversations about the once-taboo topic in South Korea.
“The book has also been translated into multiple languages, touching audiences around the world with its message of vulnerability and hope.”
According to the biography on Bloomsbury Publishing, “Born in 1990, Baek Sehee studied creative writing in university before working for five years at a publishing house. For ten years, she received psychiatric treatment for dysthymia (persistent mild depression), which became the subject of her essays, and then I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, books one and two. Her favorite food is tteokbokki, and she lives with her rescue dog Jaram.”
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