K-pop star Moonbin, a member of boy band Astro, has died at the age of 25, his music label Fantagio announced on Thursday.
Local media, citing police, reported that Moonbin was found unresponsive at his home in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district on Wednesday night.
“On April 19, Astro member Moon Bin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky,” read a statement posted in Korean on Fantagio’s official Twitter page early Thursday.
She did not provide any information on the cause of death.
The statement asked that everyone “refrain from speculative and malicious reporting” so that their family can pay their respects in peace.
Moon Bin – who performed as Moonbin – was a member of the group Astro and also performed with a sub-group called Moonbin & Sanha.
He joined the Fantagio label’s trainee program at a young age and was an actor and model before debuting Astro in February 2016. The group originally consisted of six cast members, but one member left in February 2023.
Moonbin’s sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop singer who performs as part of the girl group Billlie.
“I’m 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 to Fantagio’s post on Twitter.
Several other young K-pop stars have died in recent years, including Goo Hara in November 2019. She had been abused by an ex-boyfriend who blackmailed her over their sex videos after their breakup.
The alleged suicide came a month after her close friend and fellow K-Pop, Sulli, killed herself after a long battle with online bullying, prompting calls in South Korea for tougher penalties for cybercrimes and abusive online comments.
In 2018, 33-year-old Minwoo of boy band 100% died at home, with his label saying only he had suffered cardiac arrest.
A little over three months earlier, Jonghyun, the lead singer of the group SHINee, died of a presumed suicide. he was 27
K-pop stars are picked up by agencies at a young age — usually in their early or mid-teens — and live under tight control, their days occupied by grueling music and dance training.
South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, which is among the leading causes of death for people under 40, according to recent government figures.