K-Pop Star Moonbin Mourned by Fans Worldwide
On April 19th, 2023, twenty five year old Moon Bin was found unresponsive in his apartment by his manager. Hours later, his record label, Fantagio Entertainment, confirmed the news.
Moon Bin (stage name Moonbin) was a member of the popular K-pop boy band ASTRO and another subunit within the group called Moonbin & Sanha.
He was born on Jan. 26, 1998, in Cheongju, North Chungbuk Province, South Korea. A child model and actor in his early years, he appeared in many music videos and TV shows from 2004 to 2016, including the hit KBS drama Boys Over Flowers.
At a young age, Moon Bin joined music label Fantagio’s training program, and in February 2016, he was announced to debut in the six-member boy band ASTRO. The band quickly found success in South Korea and Japan, with Billboard magazine praising them for their “bright, synthpop sound that won over K-pop lovers from around the world,” listing them as one of the top10 new K-pop groups that year.
Moonbin was also the older brother of K-Pop star Moon Sua, a member of the girl group Billlie, who has now canceled and postponed all her upcoming shows. Letters written to Moonbin by Moon Sua have been posted along his memorials, along with many heartfelt letters by other members of Astro.
The Gangnam police have not yet provided an official cause of death, but officials told South Korean news media that it is believed he died by suicide. They added that there were no signs of foul play connected to the death.
Korean broadcast company SBS revealed that Moonbin had previously opened up about his mental health.
“I want to confess one thing, I’m actually feeling really bad. There might have been a lot of signs from which people could notice [my condition] since the concert started, so I’m also very sorry to you guys,” said Moonbin during a fan meet.
Moonbin's funeral was held in private on April 22; few details about his funeral were made public. Fantagio announced it was held “as quietly as possible” and limited mainly to family, close friends, and colleagues, as per the wishes of his relatives.
Moonbin’s passing was a shock to many, and its effects have been felt worldwide and throughout the industry. Several K-pop groups paused promotions in light of Moonbin’s passing. K-pop show Mnet’s M Countdown held a moment of silence for him. In addition, the survival reality show Boys Planet also dedicated one of their shows to Moonbin.
Moonbin has many memorials all over the world, most notably in Gangnam, Seoul, where fans can visit with flowers and notes.
“The visitation period [for the memorials] has been extended until June 6th (Tue) which marks the 49th memorial day for those who were unable to visit during the original period, after acknowledging the opinions of AROHA [ASTRO’s fans],” Fantagio released in a statement.
Many of Moonbin’s friends, including ASTRO members Cha Eun-woo, MJ, Sanha and Jinjin, former ASTRO member Rocky, members of boy group Seventeen, and Moon Sua, have visited the memorial space and left messages.
At one of Moonbin’s tributes, fans expressed that they were glad to have a place to go to mark the loss and find a community to grieve with.
“We should remember his light, the music and all the good things,” said Ariana Mendoza, one such fan. “We shouldn’t just focus on his passing, but also let people know who he was and what he stood for.”
by ANGELA TANG