The boy band Astro member Moonbin, a K-pop star, passed away on Thursday at the age of 25, according to his record label Fantagio.
According to the police and local media, Moonbin was discovered unconscious on Wednesday night at his flat in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district.
“On April 19, Astro member Moon Bin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky,” said a statement posted in Korean early Thursday on Fantagio’s official Twitter page.
It gave no details regarding the manner of death.
In order to let his family to pay their respects privately, it was requested in the statement that everyone “refrain from speculative and malicious reports”.
Moon Bin, also known as Moonbin, was a performer who was a part of the group Astro as well as the duo Moonbin & Sanha.
Early on, he enrolled in the Fantagio label’s trainee programme. Before making his Astro debut in February 2016, he worked as a model and actor. Six performers made up the initial ensemble before one left in February 2023.
Moon Sua, a member of the girl group Billlie, is Moonbin’s sister and a K-pop performer.
“So sorry for the loss of one of the most beautiful souls I’ve meet through music! Prayers to his family and friends and employers and fans!” one user responded on Twitter to Fantagio’s post.
In recent years, a number of other young K-pop artists have passed away, notably Goo Hara in November 2019. She had been mistreated by an ex-boyfriend who, after they broke up, tried to extort her using their sex tapes.
The alleged suicide happened a month after Sulli, a close friend and fellow K-pop artist, killed herself following a protracted battle with online bullying. This death sparked calls in South Korea for harsher penalties for online abuse and crimes involving computers and technology.
Boy band 100% member Minwoo, 33, passed away at home in 2018, and his record company only revealed that he had experienced a heart attack.
Jonghyun, the lead vocalist of the band SHINee, passed away by apparent suicide just over three months ago. He was 27.
K-pop artists are discovered by agencies at a young age, typically in their early to mid-teens, and live in a controlled environment with their days occupied by demanding musical and dancing training.
According to recent government statistics, South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, making it one of the leading causes of death for people under the age of 40.
