Empty tables and tears mark the five colleagues killed in the South Korean plane crash Reuters

Ju-min Park and Dogyun Kim

MUAN DISTRICT, South Korea (Reuters) – Empty desks and a calendar marking days off after Christmas stand in the South Korean office where five co-workers once planned a vacation to Thailand that ended in tragedy on Sunday when their return Jeju Air flight crashed.

The five female colleagues, who had flown to Bangkok to celebrate promotions, were among the 179 killed when Flight 7C2216 crashed at Muan International Airport in the deadliest air crash on South Korean soil.

Still reeling from the loss of their co-workers and friends, colleagues wearing black ribbons wept at their desks in the public education office Tuesday as they stood vigil over the victim’s empty desk.

White chrysanthemums were placed on the desk as a sign of mourning, while boxes of books and utensils awaited another victim who was supposed to move the desks for the New Year.

“It doesn’t seem real,” said Lee Dae-keun, a Jeollanamdo Education Office official who worked in the same department as one victim.

“She still lingers in my eyes. Whenever I see flowers on that empty table, ah, sadness wells up.”

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, she was a really hardworking and kind, kind colleague to others,” Lee said with a sigh. – She always told me to stay happy and positive.

Lee said he went to the airport with other co-workers to provide food or charge phones for grieving families of fellow campers.

In the office, officials set up an altar where colleagues and neighbors came to express their condolences.

Bowing in tears at the altar, Lee Kwi-sun, a school cook, vividly remembered the last moment she held hands with another victim.

“Our names are similar. We were like lost brothers and sisters who had just met. So we said we would meet again, held hands and laughed and parted,” she recalled.

“I’ve talked to her a lot personally and professionally, so this just breaks my heart,” she said