K-POP star, Moonbin has been found dead in his apartment at the age of 25, South Korea police have said.
He was found unresponsive by his manager at his apartment in Gangnam-gu, Seoul at 8.10 pm on Tuesday evening, April 18, YonHapNews Television reported.
He is believed to have been found after he did not turn up for rehearsals.
The singer, actor, dancer and model was best known as a member of boy band Astro and its sub-unit Moonbin and Sanha.
Born named Moon Bin, he was part of the original lineup for Astro, debuting with five other singers in 2016.
The group’s hits included Candy Sugar Pop, All Night, Crazy Sexy Cool and Blue Flame.
Astro’s record label Fantagio Music, in a statement that was also shared on the band’s Instagram, said: ‘On April 19th, Astro member Moonbin suddenly left us and became a star in the sky.
‘Although it cannot be compared to the grief of the bereaved families who lost their beloved sons and brothers, the Astro members who have been with us for a long time, as well as our Fantagio fellow artists and executives, are deeply mourning the deceased in great sadness and shock.
‘It is even more heartbreaking to deliver the sudden news to the fans who have supported Moonbin and sent him generous love.
‘I am more heartbroken because I know the heart of the deceased who always loved and thought of his fans more than anyone else.’
They added that the funeral would be held quietly with his friends, family and colleagues attending. Moonbin was also the older brother of K-pop girl group star Moon Sua, of Billie.
He went on hiatus in 2019 for health-related reasons, but returned in 2020 to appear again with the group.
Alongside fellow Astro star Sanha, he released new album Incense on January 4, and the duo were due to perform in Macau on Saturday.
The tour date set for May 13 in Jakarta, Indonesia, has now been cancelled, according to event promoter Lumina Entertainment.
They said: ‘After long discussion and consideration, we have to cancel this event due to unforseen circumstances beyond our control that we could not avoid.’
Moonbin had told fans after the concert that he had been going through a difficult time, Korean broadcaster SBS reported on Thursday.
‘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 since the concert started, so I’m also very sorry to you guys.
‘I’m working out and trying to pick up things that I’ve left little by little. I chose this job so I need to be happy so that I can make fans happy as well,’ he said in a live broadcast over social media.
Police said he appears to have taken his own life but an autopsy is being reviewed to determine the exact cause of death.
