« He left our world unexpectedly to become a star in the sky. » In a few words, his Fantagio label has just confirmed very sad news for his fans and the music world. Star singer of K-Pop Moonbin, member of boy band Astro, died on Wednesday at just 25 years old.
His body was found lifeless at his home according to the Korean press. The causes of his death are currently unknown, even if the track of suicide seems privileged. According to a South Korean police spokesperson, there was no evidence of foul play.« We sincerely ask that you refrain from speculative reports or malicious rumours , so that the bereaved family, who are deeply saddened by the sad, sudden news, can honour and greet the deceased », asks his label in a press release published on the networks social.
Fantagio Music, who said he was « sorry to announce this painful and heartbreaking news », explains that « the funeral will be organized as discreetly as possible » at the request of the singer’s family.
Moon Bin – who played Moonbin – had been a member of Astro since 2016, and also performed with a subgroup called Moonbin & Sanha. After working as an actor and model, he joined the Fantagio label’s trainee program at an early age and debuted with Astro in February 2016, which then had six members. Their debut single « Hide and Seek » was a hit with millions of views on YouTube.
» It really hurts «
Moonbin & Sanha was scheduled to perform in May at the Dream Concert, one of the most anticipated K-pop events in South Korea. Moon Bin’s sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop singer, member of a girl group called Billlie. Several thousand bereaved and often incredulous fans reacted to the label’s announcement.
“Rest in peace, Moonbin. I hope the stars and the moon treat you well. I hope they will give you all their comfort and love, “wrote one of them on Twitter. « I can’t concentrate on my work anymore. It really hurts, ”confessed another Internet user.
The group was also touring across Asia, and had just launched an official page for their fan community on Weverse, an international fan platform launched by HYBE, the agency of another K-pop phenomenon. pop, BTS.
« Moonbin’s untimely death is all the more shocking because the young star was very active, even the week of his death, » Jeff Benjamin, K-pop columnist at Billboard, an American music media, told AFP.
Behind the glamor and glitz, the K-pop industry is notorious for its ruthless competition, its lack of respect for artists’ privacy, the online harassment it generates, and the constant pressure to maintain at all costs a flawless picture.
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, citing an unnamed police officer, reported that authorities believe Moonbin’s death was clearly a suicide.
Several suicides in the middle
Several rising K-pop stars have died in recent years, including two suspected suicides in a month in 2019. Singer Goo Hara reportedly committed suicide after being victimized by a disgruntled ex-boyfriend’s ‘revenge porn’, a month after her friend Sulli, another K-pop star, killed herself after attacks accusing her of not wearing a bra. In 2017, star Jonghyun also killed himself after battling depression.
South Korea is one of the countries in the world with the highest death rate from suicide, which is among the leading causes of death among people under 40, according to recent figures from the South Korean government.
« It’s always the people who smile the most who suffer the most, » wrote one of Moonbin’s fans. “When the sky shines with a thousand lights, we will think of you and when the stars shine, we will think of you”.
