Who was ASTRO star Moonbin?

ASTRO'S prominence in the K-pop world gave stardom to all of the group's members as they explored opportunities outside of the band.

Late singer Moonbin was a part of the band's debut lineup but he went solo years later.

Who was ASTRO star Moonbin?

Born on January 26, 1998, Moonbin was a singer, actor, and dancer from Cheongju, South Korea.

On February 23, 2016, he and five other singers made their debut with the K-pop band ASTRO.

In addition to Moonbin, ASTRO's original lineup included:

• Kim "Jinjin" Myung-jun
• MJ
• Cha Eun-woo
• Yoon San-ha
• Park "Rocky" Min-hyuk

When the group premiered, they released their first EP Spring Up.

Their first album All Light was made available to listeners everywhere on January 16, 2019.

Moonbin was also a member of the ASTRO sub duo Moonbin & Sanha.

On April 19, 2023, Moonbin was found dead at his residence in Seoul.

His record label Fantagio shared via Instagram: "On April 19th, Astro member Moonbin suddenly left us and became a star in the sky.

"My heart hurts even more to deliver this sudden news to the fans who have supported Moonbin and sent generous love.

"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."

At the time, Moobin & Sanha were scheduled to kick off their Diffusion tour in May.

Why did Moonbin go on hiatus?

On November 12, 2019, Moonbin announced he was going on hiatus for health-related reasons.

While preparing for ASTRO's eighth EP Blue Flame, Moonbin "felt unwell" and "went to the hospital and received a detailed examination."

On behalf of the singer, Fantagio stated: "We have decided to temporarily suspend team activities based on the opinion of the medical staff that sufficient rest and treatment are needed.

"We ask for your understanding in the decision to temporarily suspend activities for healthier activities in the future and we promise to provide unsparing support and do our best to help Moonbin recover his health.

"I am very sorry for the inconvenience. We will continue to ask for sincere support from fans for Moonbin and the Astro members."

On February 14, 2020, he ended his hiatus by making his first appearance with the group since his aforementioned announcement.

He was also present for the band's subsequent albums All Yours and Drive to the Starry Road.