The Korean Organ Donation Agency announced on Oct. 16 that the bestselling author, Baek Se-hee (백세희), had died. Five South Koreans received her transplanted organs.
Baek was only 35 years old, and the cause of death has not yet been announced. But there is speculation that she may have died by suicide.
She is best known for her revelatory memoirs I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki (2018) and her 2019 followup, I Want to Die But I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki. With her writing, Baek opened up about her dysthymia (persistent depressive order), detailed the conversations she had with her psychiatrist, reflected on the trauma in her life, and tied together how all of that played a role in the state of her mental health.
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki was heralded by outlets like Kirkus Review, the New York Times, and Publishers Weekly.
Some of the author’s discussions relate directly to Korean culture, but much of it transcends borders and will resonate with readers around the world. As she gradually worked through the therapy process, Baek learned how to avoid the emotional roller coaster that comes with dysthymia and how to avoid constantly judging herself and others. Though the act of living always comes with ups and downs, it’s important to keep them in context and seek an appropriate balance. Baek acknowledges that she might never be entirely free of her dysthymia, but she can manage it, live with it, and understand it as part of her being. —Kirkus
But some critics found it cumbersome. They didn’t like the way Baek weaved the more clinical aspects of her psychiatric sessions with her essays.
However, it’s likely that her books resonated more with readers because they acknowledged that life is fluid, with the best and worst parts co-existing — or trying to — as we attempt to figure out why we are the way we are.
Interestingly, sales of the memoir spiked considerably after eagle-eyed BTS fans spotted a copy of the book in the pop group’s reality series “Bon Voyage.” After RM’s de facto recommendation, the memoir sold more than 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom alone.
Without directly stating that it’s a book about feminism, I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki highlights a woman’s plight navigating life and microaggressions. So I found it interesting — or perhaps annoying is the more appropriate word — that a reporter for Singapore’s The Straits Times started off a YouTube interview by addressing the first question to a surprised Anton Hur — who translated the book into English — rather than to Baek, who is the actual author.
Women worldwide can relate to this, whether they’re ignored at an auto dealership with their male partner, talked down to at a bank, dismissed at a store, or even when they’re out promoting their own book.
Since her books’ release, Baek Se-hee opened up dialogue about depression and the importance of normalizing mental health care. May she rest in eternal peace.
Elements of Baek’s memoirs reminded me a bit of Cho Nam-Joo’s 2016 novel, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982. The latter became the first Korean novel in seven years to sell more than a million copies. (The record previously was held by Shin Kyung-sook’s 2009 bestseller, Please Look After Mom). In 2019, Cho’s book was made into a film that starred Jung Yu-mi as the titular protagonist, and Gong Yoo as her husband.
What I remember the most from Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 (the book) is the powerful ending. Told from the first-person point of view of Ji-young’s male psychiatrist, he offers readers a perfunctory analysis. But as he continues, it’s clear that he neither likes or respects women. When one of his female therapists — who has a high-risk pregnancy and is hopeful she can return to work later — stops by to say goodbye, he is conflicted.
I was displeased by the news at first, wondering why she couldn’t just take a couple months off instead of quitting altogether, but I guess this is for the best since she’ll be going on maternity leave soon anyway, and then causing inconveniences at the clinic by taking sick days for herself, for her child, etc.
Suyeon has undoubtedly been a great employee. … She even remembers how I take my coffee and brings it in on the way to work. … Unfortunately, because of her suddenly leaving, more patients have decided to terminate therapy rather than be referred to another counselor at our clinic. That’s a bottom-line loss for the clinic.
Even the best female employees can cause many problems if they don’t have the childcare issue taken care of.
I’ll have to make sure her replacement is unmarried.
It doesn’t occur to this man that after the birth of the baby, maybe the husband should stay home to care for the child instead. The assumption worldwide always has been that no matter how educated, or ambitious, or skilled a woman is in the workforce, she is the one who is expected to make sacrifices for the family.
Sadly, I remember a kinda/sorta situation occurring at a newsroom I worked at many years ago. Only this time around, it was the women in power who pushed a talented journalist out. They knew she was a single mom who had to leave work at a certain time to pick up her children from daycare. So they changed her schedule for no other reason than they could.
Sometimes, it seems like everyone hates women for simply existing.
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