The passing of Moon Bin, a 25-year-old member of the renowned boy band Astro, has elicited a stunned and mournful response from fans worldwide.
Moon Bin’s music label, Fantagio, confirmed the news on Thursday, stating that he had “suddenly left us and became a star in the sky.”
The label also expressed profound grief and shock, with Astro members, colleagues, executives, and employees all mourning his loss.
According to an official at Gangnam Police Station, Moon Bin was discovered deceased at his home in southern Seoul by his manager at approximately 8:10 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Fantagio noted that Moon Bin was always devoted to and cared for his fans more than anyone else.
According to the Gangnam police who spoke with CNN on Thursday, it is suspected that Moon Bin died by suicide. The police also stated that there was no evidence of foul play in the case. Moon Bin’s death has triggered a wave of condolences on social media, with fans expressing their grief at the loss of the beloved celebrity. The incident has once again highlighted the intense pressures that celebrities face in the highly competitive and stressful Korean entertainment industry.
The global trend on Twitter, #moonbin, amassed over 2.6 million tweets, with posts written in various languages including English, Spanish, Indonesian, Tagalog, and Thai, among others. In the meantime, social media videos revealed that fans in Chile had created a memorial for the departed star by lining a wall with white and purple balloons, Astro’s theme colors.
In 2016, Moon Bin made his debut with the boy band Astro, alongside Jinjin, MJ, Cha Eun-woo, and Yoon San-ha. He was also part of a subgroup called Moon Bin & Sanha, which toured Asia in recent months. Prior to his passing, the duo had scheduled performances in Busan and Jakarta in May, as part of the port city’s efforts to promote the 2030 World Expo.
Moon Bin began his career in the entertainment industry as a child actor, making his debut in the 2009 Korean Broadcasting System TV drama “Boys Over Flowers.” The series enjoyed widespread popularity, and its dubbed version was broadcast globally, attracting many fans from Southeast Asia. Moon Bin’s sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop celebrity, performing as a member of the girl group Billlie.
