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K-pop Star Moonbin, Member of K-pop Band Astro, Dies at 25 Years Old

2023-04-20 , 11:01 am

Last Updated on 2023-05-05 , 11:43 am

Idols are a source of joy for many across the globe—in the eyes of their fans, they’re seen as the pinnacle of perfection. It’s justifiable, because the industry is steeped in glitz and glamour, after all.

However, a string of sudden deaths amongst K-Pop idols has stricken the community—Kim Jonghyun of SHINee and Goo Hara of Kara lost their lives to apparent suicide, with the former condemning the industry’s pressure in a harrowing suicide note.

On 19 April, Moonbin, a member of the South Korean boy band ASTRO, was found dead in his apartment. The police disclosed in a preliminary statement that he may have taken his own life.

Passed Away At 25

At around 8.10 pm on 19 April, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station reported that popular K-Pop star Moonbin, who’d been a part of the boy band ASTRO, had passed away.

He was 25.

Moonbin was found unresponsive in his upscale apartment in Seoul’s Gangnam district, according to the police.

His official cause of death is pending but rumours that he died by suicide have spread online after Korean media reported that local authorities revealed his death was likely a suicide.

Fantagio’s Statement

His death was confirmed by his record label, Fantagio, via a statement in Korean posted on Twitter.

The statement started with an apology for “having to convey this sorrowful and heartbreaking news” and explained that Moonbin had “suddenly left us and has now become a star in the sky”.

Citing his “unparalleled” love for his fans, the record label expressed pain over conveying the sudden news to fans, who had offered him their unending love and support throughout his career.

Fantagio expressed that its artists and staff were “deeply mourning” his death, but said that it “could not compare” to the grief his family felt, due to the sudden, shocking tragedy.

In light of this, they asked the public to “refrain from speculative or malicious reports” to allow the family to say their goodbyes and “respectfully mourn the departed”.

Closing the statement, they reiterated their mourning and grief for the deceased artist.

Aftermath

Moonbin was scheduled to perform at the 2023 Dream Concert in Busan, as part of an ASTRO unit formed with fellow band member Sanha.

The star had a following of 3.9 million on Instagram, and fans flooded the page with their condolences, expressing their grief in the comments section of his latest post, made on 31 March.

There, fans wished for Moonbin to rest in peace, with some comments citing how special he was in their lives, and others alluding to his rumoured cause of death, suicide.

Moonbin’s sister, Moon Sua, has also made a name for herself in the industry as part of the K-pop group Billie.

Following Moonbin’s death, Billie reportedly cancelled or postponed all promotional activities scheduled this week.

He had been part of the boy band ASTRO since 2016, and had acted in a few shows as well, with his debut acting role in the hit 2009 Korean TV series Boys Over Flowers.

SHINee Member’s Suicide

The K-Pop industry, unfortunately, is no stranger to sudden death.

In 2017, 27-year-old K-pop star Kim Jong-hyun died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his apartment in Seoul after a long battle with depression ended in him taking his life.

The former lead singer of the boy band SHINee left behind a haunting suicide note that cast a spotlight on mental health issues in South Korea, and the tremendous pressure faced by idols in the K-pop industry.

In the note, he expressed his overwhelming feelings of depression, self-hatred and loneliness, starting by saying he was “broken from the inside”.

Writing about his pain and suffering, the singer said that he had “wanted someone to notice” it, but no one did since they had never actually met him before.

“It wasn’t my path to become world famous,” he wrote, expressing that it was a “miracle” he managed to “endure it” for so long.

Ending the note, he begged readers not to blame him for his choice, and to “tell [him he] suffered enough”, a sentiment he echoed earlier in the note, where he wrote that he “didn’t do anything wrong”.

A full translation of the note can be found here.

Idol Culture Spotlighted

High-profile sudden deaths have plagued the industry for years. In 2019 alone, Sulli from band f(x) was found dead in October, Goo Hara of Kara in November, and Cha In Ha, also under the agency Fantagio, in December.

Their deaths spotlighted “toxic” fan cultures that continue to plague the idol industry—Sulli and her close friend Goo Hara were both victims of online vitriol, with the former speaking openly about the mental health issues she faced before her death.

K-pop fan cultures are not known to be the friendliest—outside the community, many do not hold high regard for K-pop fans, due to their reputation of not taking dissent about their idols well.

However, fans cannot be completely blamed for participating in this culture, when the industry itself perpetuates it. Idols are painstakingly portrayed as perfect, making their image unattainable to fans. This creates an unwitting and unhealthy fixation when fans struggle to view idols as real people too.

The industry has always been notorious for its brutal pressure on its performers, too—Mina of hit girl group TWICE sat out the band’s Japanese comeback, citing extreme anxiety and insecurity.

Still, the industry continues to grow. As of May 2022, it was estimated that the popular boy band BTS alone brought in an estimated USD 5 billion to South Korea yearly.

With recent deaths spotlighting the industry, however, we can only hope it continues to grow and evolve in effectively protecting all parties involved.