Astro’s Moonbin: A Walk Through His Legacy

South Korean singer-songwriter and K-pop group Astro’s member Moonbin died in Seoul on the evening of April 19th. He was 25 years old.

Born Moon Bin on January 26th, 1998 in Cheongju, he began his career in the entertainment industry as a child actor and model. His first known appearance onscreen was as a younger version of K-pop group TVXQ’s member Yunho in the music video for their 2006 release “Balloons.” A few years later, Moonbin made his TV debut in the celebrated K-Drama Boys Over Flowers as the younger version of actor Kim Bum’s character.

The singer made a transition to K-pop trainee around this time, joining South Korean label Fantagio Music and participating in the company’s boy group project iTeen. He finally made his debut with the then six-member group Astro on February 23, 2016, with the EP Spring Up.

Moonbin was also a lyricist on several of Astro’s tracks including “Footprint,” “Merry Go Round” and “Let’s Go Ride,” and was the group’s main dancer and lead vocalist. In 2020, the singer teamed up with bandmate Sanha to launch the sub-unit project Moonbin & Sanha, debuting with the EP In-Out and its massively successful lead single “Bad Idea.” The duo released their third and final EP Incense on January 4th this year and were in the middle of an Asia tour which began in March in Seoul, followed by performances in Manila and Bangkok. The tour, titled ‘Diffusion,’ was scheduled to continue from this Saturday onwards, with dates in Macau, Taipei, Jakarta, Tokyo and Osaka. Moonbin & Sanha were also on the lineup for the upcoming ‘Dream Concert’ which features various Korean artists and will take place on May 27th.

In addition to his work as a musician, Moonbin took part in various acting projects throughout his career, most notably as the lead in the 2020 Korean web drama series The Mermaid Prince. He was also the host of MBC M’s popular music program Show Champion from 2020 to 2022 alongside Sanha and boy group Verivery’s member Kangmin. He was aslo a cast member on the second season of Saturday Night Live Korea in 2021.

Moonbin was found dead in his home by his manager around 8:10 PM KST on Wednesday night after reportedly missing a rehearsal. While a cause of death has not been confirmed, a report released by The Seoul Gangnam Police Station reads, “It appears that Moonbin took his own life. We are currently discussing the possibility of an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.”

Fantagio Music confirmed Moonbin’s passing a few hours later, stating, “On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin suddenly left us and has now become a star in the sky,” adding, “Although it cannot compare to the grief of the bereaved family that had to part with their beloved son and brother, his fellow artists and the staff here at Fantagio, who have been together with him for a long time, are also deeply mourning the departed amidst tremendous shock and sorrow.” The label also urged audiences and media worldwide not to speculate or post malicious comments, and give Moonbin’s family and friends privacy to grieve, saying, “In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, the funeral will be held as quietly as possible, with family, close friends, and agency colleagues in attendance.”

Fans reacted to the news with grief and shock on social media with various K-pop fandoms coming together to show their support for Astro and their fans Aroha.

The label also shared that Astro’s JinJin and Sanha are currently overlooking Moonbin’s wake and fellow members MJ and Cha Eunwoo will be joining them shortly. MJ was in the middle of completing his mandatory military service while Eunwoo was on a schedule in the U.S.

Moonbin is survived by his family and younger sister Moon Sua, who is also an idol and part of the K-pop group Billie. The girl group has cancelled or postponed all activities this week in mourning. Various Korean artists including ATEEZ, Seventeen and more have also cancelled or postponed releases and activities in respect.