South Korean K-pop star Moonbin, a member of the band Astro, died on Wednesday at the age of 25, according to his record label Fantagio.
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“Astro member Moonbin left our world unexpectedly on April 19th and became a star in the sky,” wrote label Fantagio in Korean on its official Twitter account.
He did not name a probable cause of death.
The statement urges everyone to “cease speculative and malicious reporting” so that his family can pay their respects and honor him in peace.
Moon Bin – who played Moonbin – was a member of Astro and also performed with a sub-group called Moonbin & Sanha.
He joined the Fantagio label’s trainee program early on and made his debut at Astro in February 2016, which at the time consisted of six members.
Moon Bin’s sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop singer and a member of a girl group called Billlie.
“So sad to lose one of the most beautiful souls ever touched by music! Prayers for his family and friends and employers and fans!” someone wrote on Twitter in response to the Fantagio label’s announcement.
Several other young K-pop stars have died in recent years, including two alleged suicides in one month in 2019. The two women, who were close friends, had been the target of harassment on social media.