Moonbin, a member of South Korean pop group Astro and its sub-group Moonbin & Sanha, has died, according to police. He was 25 years old.
Authorities told Korean news outlet Yonhap News that the singer, whose real name is Moon Bin, was found dead at his home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on Wednesday at around 8:10 PM local time.
It is believed that he died by suicide, but the official cause of death is pending.
Moonbin’s record label, Fantagio, He made a statement on Twitter. Wednesday confirms his death.
The article, which began with “I apologize for the sad and heartbreaking news in the first place,” was loosely translated.
“On April 19, Astro member Moonbin suddenly passed away and became a star in the sky.”
The statement noted that Moonbin’s relatives and everyone who worked with him, including bandmates Cha Eun-woo, Rocky, Yoon San-ha, MJ, and Jinjin, “mourn the deceased with great sadness and shock.”
The team asked fans to “avoid speculative and malicious news so that grieving families, deeply distressed by the sudden sad news, can respectfully commemorate and greet the deceased.”
The statement also stated that Moonbin’s funeral will be held “as quietly as possible”, with only family members, friends and colleagues attending.
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Meanwhile, fans filled the “Candy Sugar Pop” singer’s Instagram account to honor her.
One heartbroken follower shared, “You changed my life 😭😭😭😭😭 You made me so happy Bin 😭😭😭😭😭 Thank you for everything 😭😭😭😭😭😭 I will love you forever 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 😭 😭 Rest in peace my love.”
Another said, “He always had such a big smile on his face that it could automatically make a person smile, but now that happiness is gone and made everyone sad and the smile lost.”
Third, pointing to the string of suicides that have plagued the K-pop community in recent years, he said, “As a former Kpoper, I hate kpop now.. I feel like those bad days we had in the past are being repeated again… RIP #Moonbin.”
In December 2017, former lead singer of South Korean pop group SHINee, Kim Jonghyun, was found dead in his apartment in Seoul. The suicide note left by the 27-year-old actor revealed that he was struggling with depression.
Then, less than two years later, in November 2019, K-pop star Goo Hara was found dead as though she had committed suicide. He was 28 years old.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or message Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988.