BELOVED K-pop star, Moonbin struggled with “life-long anxiety” and other health issues, resulting in a brief hiatus years before his tragic death at age 25.
Moonbin was found dead in his home in the Gangnam-gu district of Seoul on Wednesday evening, according to South Korean media outlets.
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The ASTRO member’s death was confirmed on the group’s Instagram page.
“Moonbin suddenly left us and became a star in the sky,” the group’s label Fantagio wrote in the post.
“Although it cannot be compared to the grief of the bereaved families who lost their beloved son and brother, the ASTRO members who have been with us for a long time, as well as our Fantiago fellow artists and executives, are deeply mourning the deceased in great sadness and shock.”
The cause of the singer’s death is unknown at this time, however, a statement was released by the Seoul Gangnam Police Department, which was translated by Soompi.
“It appears that Moonbin took his own life,” the statement read. “We are currently discussing the possibility of an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.”
Moonbin was part of the ASTRO spin-off duo, Moonbin & Sanha alongside Yoon Sanha.
The duo was currently on their DIFFUSION tour after beginning with a two-day concert in Seoul on March 18 and 19.
Their stop in Jakarta, Indonesia, which was set to be held on May 23, has since been canceled, according to LUMINA Entertainment.
The announcement read, “After long discussion and consideration, we have to cancel this event due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control that we could not avoid.”
MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES
Throughout his career in Astro, Moonbin had been very open about his struggles with anxiety and stress.
In an interview with Korean media outlet, Newsen, in 2019, Moonbin shared that he dealt with anxiety since he was young, revealing that he had gone to therapy and taken medication to manage his symptoms.
Moonbin also said at the time that he used exercise to manage his talking with friends and family to help.
“I think it’s important for people to talk about their mental health and seek help when they need it,” he said in an interview with The Star magazine.
“It’s something that we should all be aware of and try to support each other with.”
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On November 12, 2019, Moonbin announced he was going on hiatus for health-related reasons.
While preparing for ASTRO’s eighth EP Blue Flame, Moonbin “felt unwell” and “went to the hospital and received a detailed examination.”
On behalf of the singer, Fantagio stated: “We have decided to temporarily suspend team activities based on the opinion of the medical staff that sufficient rest and treatment are needed.
“We ask for your understanding in the decision to temporarily suspend activities for healthier activities in the future and we promise to provide unsparing support and do our best to help Moonbin recover his health.
“I am very sorry for the inconvenience. We will continue to ask for sincere support from fans for Moonbin and the Astro members.”
On February 14, 2020, he ended his hiatus by making his first appearance with the group since his aforementioned announcement.
BELOVED SINGER
Moonbin’s first known appearance in a music video came in 2006 when he appeared in TVXQ’s video for their song Balloons.
A child model before he became a pop culture phenomenon in South Korea, Moonbin was a trainee of Fantagio since he was in the fifth grade.
Moonbin and the other members of ASTRO made their first appearance together in the South Korean TV drama To Be Continued in 2015.
A year later, the boy band debuted in the music scene in February 2016 with six members with the release of their five-song album Spring Up, which included the hit single Hide & Seek.
That same year they were named one of the best new K-pop acts by Billboard.
ASTRO released their latest album, Drive To The Starry Road, last May.
Member Rocky departed the K-pop group earlier this year, with Fantagio Music explaining that the band would “continue as a five-member group in the future.”
Moonbin was the older brother of Moon Sua, a member of the K-pop girl group Billlie.
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If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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