K-pop star Moonbin’s suspected suicide shakes fans.
Fans have reacted with grief and disbelief to the 25-year-old sudden death of K-pop star Moonbin.
On Wednesday evening, his manager discovered the Astro boy band member unresponsive in his Seoul apartment.
His death reignites concerns regarding the immense stress K-pop stars endure and recalls other notable music deaths in recent years.
The police believe he committed suicide, but an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death.
Moonbin “unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky,” his record label tweeted.
Fans placed flowers and notes at street memorials in South Korea and other countries, including the United States, Chile, Indonesia, and the Philippines, according to images posted online.
Some also strung up purple and silver balloons, which were prominent at the singer’s most recent performance in Thailand.
Thursday was filled with expressions of sorrow on social media in response to his passing.
“Rest peacefully, Moonbin. I hope the stars and moon are kind to you. I hope they provide you with all the comfort and love,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Moonbin, your smile will light up the night,” wrote another.
Moonbin’s career spanned his entire life, placing him in an elite group of K-pop stars. In the 2000s, he entered the show business as a child actor and model. In 2009, at the age of 11, he made his acting debut in the popular Korean drama series Boys Over Flowers.
At 18 years old, he joined Astro.
Rob Schwartz, an Asia correspondent for Billboard Magazine, told the BBC that while he is not as well-known internationally as BTS or Blackpink, he is wildly popular at home.
Fans on social media exert intense pressure on K-pop idols to look and sound flawless, while record producers demand that they produce hit after hit.
“It’s ridiculous how closely they watch these men,” he said. “Without a doubt, stars in the West can date in relative secrecy. In the K-pop community, secrecy is impossible. Every time they move their feet, thousands of words are written about it.”
In addition, he mentioned that Moonbin went on hiatus in 2019 and 2020 due to health concerns. “K-pop artists have no real life outside of being pop stars. They begin training at an early age. They do not attend a school or make consistent friends. It is extremely difficult for them to envision life outside of the K-pop world, he said.
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Since 2020, Moonbin has performed as a duo with fellow Astro member Sanha. Amid a world tour, Moonbin & Sanha gave their final performance in Bangkok on April 8.
Fantiago stated that all Astro members would return to Seoul on Thursday to attend Moonbin’s funeral. So that Moonbin’s family could pay their respects in peace, the label’s statement also urged individuals to “refrain from speculative and malicious reports.”
Moon Sua, Moobin’s sister, is also a K-pop singer and a member of the girl group Billie. The siblings had previously discussed their interdependence in public interviews.
South Korea has the highest suicide rate among developed nations, at approximately 26 per 100,000 people. While the country’s overall suicide rate is decreasing, deaths among those in their twenties are increasing. In recent years, several young South Korean celebrities have died, with some of these deaths attributed to suicide.
A week ago, the 26-year-old actress Jung Chae-yull was found dead in her home in Seoul. Her management agency did not reveal the cause of her passing.
In October 2019, K-pop star Sulli committed suicide after a long battle with online harassment. A month later, her close friend Goo Hara, a former member of the K-pop group Kara, was discovered dead in her Seoul residence. Minwoo of boy band 100% died at home in 2018, with his label stating only that he suffered cardiac arrest. In 2017, Jonghyun, the lead singer of one of South Korea’s most popular boy bands, SHINee, passed away.
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As a child, Moonbin enrolled in Fantagio’s trainee program before eventually joining Astro. The group originally consisted of six performers, but one left in February.
“Arohas” mourned Moonbin’s passing. As an all-around performer, he was considered to be the boy band’s most celebrated dancer.
SBS reported that Moonbin told fans at a recent concert on the “Diffusion” tour with Sanha to promote the duo’s latest EP record that he had been going through a difficult time.
“I must confess that I’m actually in a terrible mood. Since the concert began, there may have been many signs that people could have noticed, so I’m also very sorry to you all.
“I’m working out and attempting to pick up things I’ve left behind bit by bit. I chose this career, so I must be happy to make my fans happy, too,” he said in a live social media broadcast.
This Saturday, the duo was scheduled to perform in Macau, followed by Indonesia and Japan in May.
K-pop star Moonbin’s suspected suicide shakes fans.
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