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Agence France-Presse

K-pop star Moonbin, a member of the boy band Astro, has died, his music label and South Korean police said on Thursday, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans.
The 25-year-old singer was found dead at his home in southern Seoul late Wednesday, a spokesperson for the National Police Agency said, adding that there was no evidence of foul play.
Moonbin’s label Fantagio Music also released a statement on Thursday confirming his death but without disclosing the cause.
“On April 19, Astro member Moonbin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky,” it said on Twitter.
It asked that people “refrain from speculative and malicious reports” so that his family can pay their respects and honour him in peace.
How fans deal with K-pop deaths of Goo Hara, Sulli and Jonghyun
The label’s announcement prompted thousands of comments from grieving fans, many expressing disbelief.
“Rest in peace, Moonbin. I hope the stars and the moon treat you well. I hope they give you all the comfort and love,” one wrote on Twitter.
“I can’t focus on work now. This really hurts,” wrote another.
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 programme at an early age and was an actor and model before debuting with Astro in February 2016.
Before his passing, Moonbin & Sanha had been set to perform at the coming Dream Concert – one of the largest K-pop joint concerts in South Korea – in May.
The group had also been in the middle of their Diffusion Fan Con Tour across Asia, and had launched an official fan community page on Weverse – the global fandom platform from K-pop megastars BTS’s agency Hybe – on Sunday.


“While no passing from any artist is ever to be expected, Moonbin’s untimely passing was all the more shocking given how active the young star was, even the week of his death,” Jeff Benjamin, Billboard’s K-pop columnist, said.
“No one around him saw this coming, but what we can keep is his undeniable smile,” he added.
“I’ve seen its brightness compared to the Cheshire Cat from Alice and Wonderland, and the wonderful music and performances he gave us.”
Beneath the glitz and glamour, the K-pop industry is also known for its cutthroat competition, a lack of privacy, online bullying and relentless public pressure to maintain a wholesome image at all times and at any cost.
Copycat-suicides fear with Cha In-ha third K-pop star to die
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed police official, reported that authorities believe Moonbin’s death is a case of apparent suicide.
Several other young K-pop stars have died of suspected suicides in recent years, including Goo Hara who passed in 2019. She had been abused by an ex-boyfriend who, after they split, blackmailed her over their sex videos.
The suspected suicide occurred a month after her close friend, K-pop star Sulli, took her own life after a long struggle with online bullying, prompting demands in South Korea for stronger punishments for cybercrimes.
Sulli’s death echoed that of fellow K-pop star Jonghyun, who took his life in 2017 after battling depression.
“It’s always the people who smile the most who suffer the greatest,” one of Moonbin’s fans wrote.
“When the sky shines beautifully we’ll think of you and when the stars shine bright we will think of you.”
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.


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South Korea

Moonbin, K-pop star of boy band Astro, dies aged 25

Moon Bin was a member of the group Astro and also performed with a subgroup called Moonbin & Sanha. Photo: Instagram/@moon_ko_ng

How fans come to terms with K-pop deaths of Goo Hara, Sulli and Jonghyun

A picture of Goo Hara from her memorial service. Photo: Reuters

Photo from Sulli's Instagram page. Photo: jelly_jilli / Instagram

Jonghyun

Remembering Shinee’s Jonghyun three years on – the K-pop star was close friends with Red Velvet’s Yeri, penned songs for IU and touched hearts with his lyrics, vocals and MBC radio show  Blue Night

Fans remember Shinee’s Jonghyun three years after his death. Photo: @408_jjong/Instagram

K-pop group SHINee. Photo: @sj_charts/ Twitter

IU, Jonghyun, and Lee Hi. Photo: @dlwlrma, @408_jjong, @leehi_hi/ Instagram

Taeyeon from Girls' Generation, Jonghyun from SHINee, and Yeri from Red Velvet. Photo: @taeyeon_ss, @blue._.note/ Instagram. Photo: @jjongsarchive/ Twitter

‘Don’t cry. Please.’ Korean actress Yoo Ju-eun dies aged 27, leaves apparent suicide note calling her profession both a blessing and a curse

Korean actress Yoo Ju-eun, whose sudden death at the age of 27 has been announced on social media. Her brother shared what appeared to be a suicide note left by Yoo.  

Yoo Ju-eun in a still from Big Forest (2018).

Yoo Ju-eun in a still from the short film Why Is It So Warm on Christmas? (2021).

News

Asia

East Asia

The member of boy band Astro was found unresponsive in his apartment in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam neighbourhood
Music label Fantagio announced the performer, also know as Moon Bin, had ‘unexpectedly left our world’, but did not provide a suspected cause of death


The member of boy band Astro was found unresponsive in his apartment in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam neighbourhood.
