Global fans reacted with shock and grief over the death of 25-year-old K-pop star Moon Bin. A member of the popular boy band Astro. His music label, Fantagio, confirmed Moon Bin’s death Thursday, and said he has “suddenly left us and became a star in the sky.”
K-pop star Moon Bin, known by the stage name Moon bin, has died aged 25, his management agency Fantagio said on Thursday. The 25-year-old singer was found dead at his home in southern Seoul late Wednesday. A spokesperson for the National Police Agency told AFP, adding that there was no evidence of foul play.
Fantagio wrote on Twitter that Moon Bin had “suddenly left us and became a star in the sky.”
“ASTRO members, fellow Fantagio artists, company executives, and employees are mourning the deceased in great sadness and shock,” the statement added. Noting that Moon Bin “always loved and thought of the fans more than anyone else.”
Moon Bin debuted with Astro in 2016. The other members of the group are Jinjin, MJ, Cha Eun-woo and Yoon San-ha. He also performed as part of a subgroup called Moon Bin & Sanha, which toured in Asia in recent months.
Prior to his death the duo had been expected to perform next month in Busan. As part of the port city’s bid to promote the 2030 World Expo, and in Jakarta on May 13.
Moon Bin entered the entertainment industry as a child actor. Making his debut in 2009 in the Korean Broadcasting System TV drama “Boys Over Flowers“. The series was widely popular and its dubbed version aired globally, gaining lots of fans from Southeast Asia. His sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop celebrity, performing as part of the girl group Billlie.
Suicide Rate in South Korea
In 2019, popular K-pop star Goo Hara of the group Kara died by a suspected suicide at 28 years old. The year prior, she sued her ex-boyfriend for physical assault and threatening to blackmail the star with a sexually explicit video. He was given a suspended jail term, but Goo Hara’s career and reputation remained tarnished until her death.
Just over a month before Goo Hara died, a member of the F(x) girl group, Sulli, also died by a suspected suicide amid a longtime struggle with online harassment and bullying. Sulli was 25.
Sulli was good friends with Kim Jonghyun, member of SHINee, one of Korea’s most successful boybands, who died of a suspected suicide in 2017. During his career, Kim Jonghyun was a rare voice in the K-pop industry who openly discussed his struggles with depression and mental illness. He was 27.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, South Korea has the highest suicide rate of any country, at about 26 per 100,000 people. Mental health and therapy remain stigmatized in South Korean society.