By Jumin Park and Dogyun Kim
MUAN COUNTY, South Korea (Reuters) – Empty desks and a calendar marking the days off after Christmas sat in a South Korean office where five employees once planned a vacation to Thailand that ended in tragedy on Sunday when their return Jeju Air flight crashed.
Five female colleagues, who had flown to Bangkok to celebrate a promotion, were among 179 people killed when flight 7C2216 crashed at Muan International Airport in the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil.
Still in shock over the loss of co-workers and friends, colleagues wearing black ribbons wept at their desks at the Office of Public Education on Tuesday as they looked at the victim’s empty desk.
As a sign of mourning, white chrysanthemums were placed on the table, and boxes with books and stationery awaited the second victim, who had to move the desks in the New Year.
“It’s not real,” said Lee Dae-Keun, an official at the Jeollanamdo Education Office who worked in the same department as one of the victims.
“It keeps me in my eyes again. When you see the flowers on that empty table, ah, the sadness comes in.”
Reuters is not naming the victims at the request of colleagues, who requested privacy.
The dead employees were an old group of work friends who were looking forward to their long-awaited trip, their co-workers said.
“As a colleague, he was really hardworking and kind, a kind colleague to others,” Lee said with relief. “He always told me to be happy and positive.”
Lee said he went to the airport with other employees to deliver food or charge phones to bereaved families of their colleagues who were in the camp.
Officials set up an altar in the office, where colleagues and neighbors came to pay their condolences.
Lee Kwi-sun, a chef at the school, collapsed in tears at the altar, vividly remembering the last moment he held hands with the other victim.
“Our names are similar. We were like long-lost siblings I had just met. So we said we would meet again, held hands, laughed and parted,” he recalls.
“I’ve talked to him a lot personally and professionally, so it’s just heartbreaking,” he said