Moonbin, 25, was found dead at her home in southern Seoul
Seoul:
K-pop star Moonbin, a member of boy band Astro, has died, his music label and South Korean police said on Thursday, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans.
A spokesman for the National Police Agency told AFP that the 25-year-old singer was found dead at his home in southern Seoul late on Wednesday, adding that there was no evidence of conspiracy.
Moonbeen’s label Fantagio Music also released a statement on Thursday confirming her death, but did not reveal the cause.
“On April 19th, Astros member Moon Bin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky,” it said on Twitter.
It asked that people “refrain from speculation and malicious reports” so that his family can pay their respects and pay their respects in peace.
The label’s announcement prompted thousands of comments from saddened fans, many expressing disbelief.
One wrote on Twitter: “Rest in peace, Moonbin. I hope the stars and the moon treat you well. I hope they bring you comfort and love.”
Another wrote, “I can’t concentrate on work right now. It really hurts.”
Moon Bin – who performed as Moonbin – was a member of the group Astro and also performed with a sub-group called Moonbin and Sanha.
He joined Fantagio’s apprentice program at a young age and was an actor and child model before debuting with the Astros in February 2016.
Prior to his passing, Moonbin and Sanha were set to perform at the upcoming Dream Concert – one of the biggest K-pop joint concerts in South Korea – in May.
The group was also in the midst of their Diffusion Fan Con Tour across Asia, and on Sunday launched an official fan community page on global fandom platform Waves from K-pop megastars BTS’ agency HYBE.
Billboard’s K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin told AFP, “While passing is not to be expected of any artist, Moonbin’s untimely passing was all the more shocking, even in the week of her death.” Also how active was the young star.”
“No one around him saw it coming, but we can keep up with his undeniable smile,” he added.
“I’ve compared it to the Cheshire Cat from ‘Alice and Wonderland,’ and the amazing music and performance they gave us.”
cut throat business
Beneath the glitz and glamour, the K-pop industry is also known for its cut-throat competition, lack of privacy, online bullying and public pressure to maintain a good image at all times and at any cost.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed police officer, reported that authorities believe Moon’s death to be 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 was abused by an ex-boyfriend who, after they separated, blackmailed her over his sex videos.
The suspected suicide comes a month after his close friend, K-pop star Sulli, took his own life after a long struggle with online bullying, calling for tougher punishment for cybercrimes in South Korea.
Sulli’s death also coincided with the death of K-pop star Jonghyun, who took his own life in 2017 after battling depression.
One of Moon’s fans wrote, “The people who smile the most always suffer the most.”
“When the sky shines beautifully we will think of you and when the stars twinkle we will think of you.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)