ASTRO Member Moonbin Dies at 25; Agency, Family Release Statement

Moonbin, a member of the K-pop group ASTRO, has died. On Wednesday, the singer-actor was discovered dead at his home in Seoul, South Korea. He was 25.

Moonbin's untimely death was announced on social media by his group's label, the Fantagio Group. An autopsy is being performed to identify the cause of death. In a statement, the artist's family and Fantagio Group asked that "speculative and malicious reports be avoided."

ASTRO's Moonbin Death

Per USA Today claims that Moonbin committed suicide spread quickly online, spurred by a statement from local police that was widely covered in South Korean media. The local authority's assertion has not been validated as of press time.

Fantagio began by expressing their grief at the awful news. The agency acknowledged the information provided by the Seoul Gangnam Police Station and sympathized with everyone touched by Moonbin's death.

The company also expressed sympathy to Moonbin's fans for their unwavering support. They also stated that Moonbin's burial would be private, with only his family, close friends, and agency coworkers attending.

"On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin suddenly left us and became a star in the sky," the statement said, adding that Moonbin's friends and family are "deeply mourning the deceased in such great sadness and shock...The heart of the deceased was always loved and thought of by the fans more than anyone else.

This is the complete Fantagio statement, according to Kpopstarz:

"Greetings. This is Fantagio.
First of all, we would like to apologize for this heartbreaking news. On April 19, our artist Moonbin of ASTRO suddenly passed away and has now become a star in the sky.
His fellow artists here at Fantagio are also mourning his departure with sorrow. Although the grief cannot be compared to Moonbin's bereaved family, who were affected by his passing.
This shocking news is even more painful to announce to fans, who gave their unwavering support and love to Moonbin. We are overly aware of how much the late Moonbin gave his love to AROHAs, making the news even more overwhelming to bear.
We would like to encourage you to avoid speculative or malicious reports about Moonbin's departure. This is to pay respects to Moonbin's grieving family, who were incredibly shaken by this unfortunate news. Moonbin's funeral will be conducted as quietly as possible, with the attendance of his dear family, friends, and agency colleagues.
Once again, we express our deepest condolences to the deceased, who now walked on his final journey."

K-pop Group Billlie Cancels Activities

ASTRO has received critical praise in the K-pop genre, having been listed by Billboard as one of the top new K-pop bands in 2016, the same year the group released its debut EP, 'Spring Up.'

'Drive to the Starry Road,' their most recent studio album, was released in 2022. Billboard's World Digital Songs list has featured songs such as 'Breathless,' 'After Midnight,' and 'One.'

Moonbin's acting credits include appearances in the South Korean television series 'At Eighteen' and the main part in the web drama 'The Mermaid Prince.'

He was also a part of the Moonbin & Sanha offshoot pair with groupmate Yoon San-ha. Since 2000, the sub-unit has produced three EPs, the most recent of which being 'Madness,' off their 'Incense' album.

ASTRO also includes MJ, JinJin, Cha Eun-woo, and San-ha. Rocky quit the band earlier this year. Meanwhile, Moonbin's death prompted the K-pop girl group Billlie to cancel or postpone their activities this week.

Per NME, the girl group's agency, Mystic Story, made a message on Billlie's official fan café website, stating that all of the female group's activities for the week will no longer occur as planned. Moon Sua, a group member, was the late Moonbin's younger sister.

Billlie were promoting their fourth mini-album, 'the Billage of perception: chapter three,' which was released on March 28.

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, call the US National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK (8255) at any time of day or night, or chat online. When individuals in distress phone 741741, they may also get free, confidential help through text message 24 hours a day, seven days a week.