South Korean singer Moonbin — a member of the popular K-pop band Astro and its sub-unit Moonbin & Sanha — has died by apparent suicide at the age of 25, the group’s label, Fantiago, confirmed.
Fantiago reported his death Wednesday in a statement in Korean posted to social media.
The message, which was translated into English by the K-pop media company Koreaboo, reads: “On April 19, Astro member Moonbin suddenly left us to become a star in the sky.”
The statement continued, “Although we cannot compare our sorrow to the grief that the bereaved families are feeling, losing a beloved son and brother, the Astro members, fellow Fantagio artists, company executives and employees are mourning the deceased in great sadness and shock.”
The Post reached out to Fantagio for further comment.
An official cause of death has yet to be announced, but local officials told Yonhap News TV that he was found dead around 8:10 p.m. local time by his manager in his home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, after he reportedly did not show up for a rehearsal.
A translation of the statement from police was provided by Soompi.com. It read, “It appears that Moonbin took his own life. We are currently discussing the possibility of an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.”
Moonbin was a part of Astro from its debut in 2016 under Fantiago Entertainment. The group also counted MJ, Jinjin, Rocky, Cha Eun-woo, and Yoon San-ha as members.
Some of their hits are “All Night,” Breathless,” “Blue Flame” and “Candy Sugar Pop.”
They have toured all over the world, including in the US and Australia, according to Concert Archives.
Moonbin got his start in 2004 as a child model. In 2009, he starred in a Korean series titled “Boys Over Flowers,” about a working-class girl who attends a private school after she saves a student’s life.
He also starred in the 2019 TV series “Moment of Eighteen” and in a miniseries that same year titled “Soul Plate.”
According to TMZ, he took a break from performing in Astro in 2019 for health-related reasons.
Moonbin is survived by his family, which includes his sister, Moon Sua, who is part of a K-pop group called Billlie, according to People.
A private funeral will be held with his close family and friends, according to the record label’s statement.