A sad day to Korean pop fans as ASTRO member, Moonbin, has reportedly died on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. He was 25. His death was first reported by the Gangnam Police and later confirmed by the singer's talent agency, Fantagio.
The Seoul Gangnam Police Station has reported that on April 19, Wednesday, at approximately 8:10 p.m. Korean Standard Time, Moonbin was found dead in his residence in the Gangnam district of Seoul by his manager, who immediately called the police.
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| Moonbin as Chanel ambassador |
The police stated, “It appears that Moonbin took his own life,” adding, “We are currently discussing the possibility of an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.”
According to Soompi, a Korean News outlet, prior to his passing, Moonbin was scheduled to perform at the upcoming Dream Concert as part of the ASTRO unit Moonbin&Sanha.
Although his death has been rolled by the police as a possible suicide, Moonbin's talent agency, Fantagio, requested fans to refrain from spreading speculations while the investigation on the real cause of his death is still going on.
Fantagio officially released a statement on his death. Below is the company's full statement translated into English.
"This is Fantagio.
First, we apologize for having to convey this sorrowful and heartbreaking news. On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin suddenly left us and has now become a star in the sky.
Although it cannot compare to the grief of the bereaved family that had to part with their beloved son and brother, his fellow artists and the staff here at Fantagio, who have been together with him for a long time, are also deeply mourning the departed amidst tremendous shock and sorrow.
It pains us, even more, to have to convey this sudden news to the fans who have given their unsparing love and support to Moonbin. Because we know all too well just how unparalleled the departed [Moonbin] was in his love for his fans, whom he was constantly thinking of, the grief is all the more overwhelming.
In order for the bereaved family, who has fallen into great sorrow due to this sudden tragedy, to be able to respectfully mourn the departed and say their goodbyes, we entreat you to please refrain from speculative or malicious reports.
In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, the funeral will be held as quietly as possible, with family, close friends, and agency colleagues in attendance".
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| ASTRO boy band |
ASTRO, originally a six-person male K-Pop group, shot to fame in 2016 with their debut EP "Spring Up". They were named to Billboard’s top 10 list of new K-Pop groups in 2016.
He recently performed as part of the Astro sub-unit Moonbin & Sanha in the Philippines and held a fan concert in late March.
Moon Bin
Moonbin was born on January 26, 1998, in Cheongju, Chungbuk Province. He graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School, with a focus on Practical Music.
He was one of two siblings in his family, the other being his younger sister, Moon Sua, who is a member of the South Korean girl group Billlie.
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| Moonbin as the young So Yi-jung (played by Kim Bum) in Boys Over Flowers |
He began his career in 2004 as a child model and debuted on television in 2009 in the Korean idol drama, "Boys Over Flowers" playing the role of the young So Yi-jung, played by Kim Bum in adult.
Moonbin debuted as a member of Astro, one of Korea's popular boy bands, with Jinjin, MJ, Cha Eun-woo, Sanha, and Rocky in 2016.
In 2019, Fantagio announced that Moonbin will take a break due to health reasons. On February 14, 2020, Moon Bin appeared in a Vlive broadcast with the other Astro members, ending his hiatus.
On March 4, 2020, Moon Bin along with his bandmate Yoon San-ha and Verivery's Kangmin were announced to be the new hosts of the Korean music show Show Champion.
On March 12, 2020, he was confirmed to play the lead role in the web drama, The Mermaid Prince, a role which he reprised for a second season.
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| RIP Moonbin |
On May 26, 2020, Moon Bin joined the eco-friendly cooking program Food Avengers. In September 2020, Moon Bin was announced as one of the fashion models for the brand "Nerdy Cafe".
On September 14, 2020, Moon Bin and band-mate Yoon San-ha debuted as Astro's first sub-unit Moonbin & Sanha with the release of their debut EP, In-Out along with its lead single, "Bad Idea".
The unit received its first music show win from The Show eight days later, becoming the fastest sub-unit to receive a first music show win.
On December 22, 2021, It was revealed that Moon Bin had been added as a cast member for the second season of Coupang Play's Saturday Night Live Korea.
On December 30, 2022, Fantagio released an official statement and stated that Moon Bin had decided to renew his contract with the agency.
He also starred in the 2019 TV series “Moment of Eighteen” and in a miniseries that same year titled “Soul Plate.”
Such a promising life that abruptly ended so young. Our deepest condolences to Moonbin's family in this time of great sorrow. May his soul rest in peace.
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