EOUL, South Korea — Moon Bin, singer of South Korean boy band Astro, was found dead at his home in Seoul, his management agency said Thursday.
The 25-year-old was reportedly found by his manager who went to the singer's home on Wednesday night because he was not responding to contact. Police are investigating his death but have found no signs of crime so far, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. Officials at Seoul's Gangnam district police station did not respond to requests for comment.
Moon Bin's agency Fantagio confirmed his death in a statement, saying that he “suddenly left us and became a star in the sky” and fellow artists and company officials mourned his death with “deep sadness and shock.”
Fantagio said Moon Bin's funeral would be held “as quietly as possible”, with attendance mostly limited to family, close friends and colleagues, based on the wishes of his relatives.
Moon Bin debuted in 2016 with the six-member boyband Astro, which was launched shortly after the singer appeared on the reality TV show. The group quickly found success in South Korea and Japan and entered Billboard's top 10 list of new K-pop groups that year, with the magazine praising them for their “brilliant synthpop sound that won the hearts of K-pop lovers from around the world.” “
Moon Bin also appeared as a member of the duo Moonbin & Sanha, with the other half being fellow Astro member Yoon San-ha. Indonesian show promoter Lumina Entertainment on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the duo's Jakarta appearance due to “unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.”
Several South Korean singers and actors have died by suicide in recent years, sparking soul-searching about the fierce competition in the booming entertainment industry, abusive online culture, and management's failure to address their stars' mental health issues.
Last week, 26-year-old actress Jung Chae-yull was found dead at her home. His agency did not say what caused his sudden death.
If you are experiencing a suicide, drug use, or other mental health crisis, please call or text the new three-digit code to 988. You will contact a trained crisis counselor free of charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org.