Moon Bin, a 25-year-old singer from the South Korean boy band Astro, was found dead at his home in Seoul, according to his management agency, Fantagio. The singer was reportedly discovered by his manager on Wednesday evening after he failed to respond to messages. While the police are investigating the case, there is no evidence of foul play so far. Moon Bin’s funeral will be held quietly, with attendance limited to his family, close friends, and colleagues.
Moon Bin began his music career in 2016 as a member of the six-member boy band Astro, which found quick success in South Korea and Japan. Astro was listed on Billboard’s top 10 list of new K-pop groups that year, and the magazine praised their “bright, synthpop sound that won over K-pop lovers from around the world.” Astro had seven albums on the magazine’s World Albums Chart, with Moon Bin as a member, peaking at No. 5 in 2017 with “Dream Part.02.”
Moon Bin had also performed as a member of the duo Moonbin & Sanha with Astro bandmate Yoon San-ha. Fans expressed their grief and shock over Moon Bin’s death on social media. The singer’s death came just months after he renewed his contract with Fantagio along with four other Astro members.
Moon Bin entered the entertainment industry as a child actor and landed a role in the 2009 TV series “Boys Over Flowers,” which was hugely popular in Asia. Several South Korean singers and actors have died by suicide in recent years, prompting discussions about the competition and abuse prevalent in the fast-growing entertainment industry and the failure of management to address the mental health problems of their stars.