K-pop star Moonbin, a member of the boy band Astro, died at the age of 25 on Thursday, according to his music firm Fantagio.
K-pop star Moonbin was discovered unresponsive at his flat in Seoul’s posh Gangnam district on Wednesday evening, according to local media.
“On April 19, Astro member Moon Bin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky,” according to a statement issued in Korean on Fantagio’s official Twitter page early Thursday.
It did not say anything regarding the cause of death.
The statement requested that people “refrain from speculative and malicious reports” so that his family could pay their respects privately.
Moon Bin – who performed as Moonbin – was a member of the group Astro and also performed with a subgroup called Moonbin & Sanha.
He joined the Fantagio label’s trainee program at an early age and was an actor and model before debuting with Astro in February 2016. The group was originally six performers, but one member left in February 2023.
Moonbin’s sister Moon Sua is also a K-pop singer, performing as part of the girl group Billlie.
The label’s announcement prompted thousands of comments from grieving fans, many expressing disbelief.
“So sorry for the loss of one of the most beautiful souls I’ve met through music! Prayers to his family and friends and employers and fans!” one user responded on Twitter to Fantagio’s post.
“I can’t focus on work now. This really hurts,” wrote another.
Several other young K-pop singers, notably Goo Hara in November 2019, have died in recent years. She had been abused by an ex-boyfriend, who had blackmailed her through their sex films after they had split up.
Sulli, a close friend, and another K-pop artist committed suicide a month earlier after a long battle with online bullying, spurring calls in South Korea for harsher penalties for cybercrime and abusive online comments.
Minwoo, 33, of the boy band 100%, died at home in 2018, with his label simply stating that he had experienced cardiac arrest.
Just over three months prior, SHINee’s main vocalist Jonghyun died in an apparent suicide. He was 27.
K-pop singers are signed by agencies at a young age, usually in their early to mid-teens, and live under strict supervision, with their days consumed by arduous musical and dance training.
South Korea has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world, and according to recent government numbers, it is one of the leading causes of death for people under the age of 40.
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