UK student dies in South Korea Halloween crowd surge

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WLEX) –  Halfway across the globe, Anne Gieske’s University of Kentucky friends have just started learning about her death.

Some moments of her study abroad trip to South Korea were something she had awaited for years.

Gieske was among the more than 150 who died in a crush of people during Halloween festivities in South Korea.

The 20-year-old northern Kentucky native was studying nursing at UK.

Ava Alexander has been friends with Gieske since they were in second grade.

“She is a remarkable person, and I never would have pictured anything like this happening to her,” Alexander said. “She would have gone on to do so many great things.”

Alexander said “everyone is still in shock” about the situation, her memories of Gieske spanning over a decade.

Alexander described her friend as happy, inclusive and smart.

“Anne was the most kind, selfless person that I have ever known,” she said. “Everyone would want Anne Gieske as a friend.”

The University of Kentucky community is grieving the tragic loss of one of our students, Anne Gieske, who was studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, and was killed in this weekend’s tragedy. (1/3)

— University of Kentucky (@universityofky) October 30, 2022