Why I fell in love with a book called I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki

For South Koreans, tteokbokki is more than a snack. It's soul food.

This sweet and spicy dish made with chewy rice cakes is a staple of Korea's street food culture and beloved by people of all ages.

It's the food students turn to after long school days, and as adults, one you seek after a hard day at work.

So when readers came across a book titled I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki in 2018, many were immediately intrigued. Its honest yet playful title sparked curiosity, some wondering just how much you must love tteokbokki to write an entire book about it. Many were soon drawn to its raw honesty.

It became an instant bestseller that was widely discussed and resonated deeply in Korea. This week, Baek Se-hee, the book's South Korean author, died aged 35. The details surrounding her death remain unclear. The fact the Korean Organ Donation Agency said Baek had saved five lives by donating her organs, emphasised her wish to help others.

Her death at such a young age has brought deep sorrow to readers who found comfort and understanding in her words. Social media and blogs have been flooded with tributes and personal stories from those her books have helped, while news outlets around the world reported her passing prominently.

At its heart, the book is a record of Baek's conversations with her psychiatrist as she navigates dysthymia - a mild but long-lasting type of depression - and anxiety disorders. Through these sessions, she opens up about her daily struggles - such as overthinking others' opinions, obsessing over her appearance, and wrestling with self-doubt. Rather than examining clinical depression, she reflects on the gentle melancholy many can relate to.

What makes her story so compelling is its candour. She captures that delicate human contradiction of living wearily with everyday sadness alongside the simultaneous desire to keep going. Just like a comforting dish of tteokbokki on a difficult day, her words offer warmth and understanding, reminding readers that even in vulnerability there is strength.

One of the many young people the book resonated with is Jo Eun Bit, a 25-year-old student at Korea University in Seoul, who found it helped her navigate uncertainty about her future.

"All generations in Korea tend to measure themselves against what others are doing and the achievements they've made, and that only fuels competition," she said. "But I liked this book because it seems to send the message that it's OK not to live according to the standards set by society.

"One of the most memorable passages in her book is that I am a one-of-a-kind being in this world, and that alone makes me special. I am someone I should care for throughout my life. The more I look within myself, the happier I believe I will become.

"To me, this offered comfort that it's OK not to be perfect, and at the same time reminded me that I, too, am someone who needs to be nurtured and cared for."