Moonbin death updates — Star’s sister Moon Sua mourns brother as fans continue to pay tribute to artist

The Moonbin & Sanha tour began two months prior to Moonbin’s death

Before his death, Moonbin was on with ASTRO member Sanha under their duo name Moonbin & Sanha. It was first announced on Twitter back in February 2023, and began in South Korea one month later.

The tour has been a success with fans and has had high ticket sales, with their most recent occurring in Bangkok on April 8.

Their was scheduled to take place in Macau, but it has since been canceled. Because of Moonbin’s death, the status of the tour and events altogether currently remain unknown.

Fans promise Moonbin that they will support Moon Sua

Not only have fans continued to post tributes to Moonbin on Twitter, but they are now stating that they will also be there for Moon Sua moving forward and hope that he will be there too.

One fan , “please be strong and Moonbin – please rest well and take care of our Sua.”

Another fan a tweet dedicated to Moonbin along with a personal message for Moonsua.

“My heartfelt condolences to his family members and close friends along with astro… Moonsua please stay strong Please rest in peace and be happy.”

Police found no signs of foul play in Moonbin’s death

After Moonbin’s manager discovered him dead in his home in South Korea, police almost immediately that there were no signs of foul play.

“No signs of foul play have been found related to this case,” stated officers who believe the singer had taken his own life.

Moonbin’s sister Moon Sua has not officially confirmed that his death was ruled by suicide, but she did write a heartbreaking caption on a of her and her brother on Instagram.

“This is very hard to believe... Why did this happen i can't believe it...” she wrote. “I'm in tears... Moonbin rest in peace... I will always love you.”

ASTRO was formed through a program created by Fantagio

After becoming a trainee of Fantagio when he was in fifth grade, Moonbin, along with many other boys participated in the company’s boy group project iTeen.

He along with other members of the program was selected to be part of the group in 2015 and starred in the web drama To Be Continued, which introduced them to the public.

Shortly after this appearance, they began to perform at several locations in South Korea, starred in their own reality show Astro OK!, and came out with the official fan club name, Aroha.

Fantagio has been with the group since its formation, and has since been regarding everything surrounding Moonbin’s death.   

Moon Sua will be the chief mourner at Moonbin’s funeral

Many have confirmed that Moon Sua will serve as the chief mourner (or sangju) at Moonbin’s funeral service in South Korea.

The chief mourner is responsible for all the responsibilities of a funeral, meaning that Moon will be responsible for all preparations, rituals, and greeting the attendees at his service.

Not too much information has been released about the funeral yet, but that the funeral will be held “as quietly as possible,” limited to close friends, family, and colleagues.  

As of now, all members of ASTRO are back in South Korea mourning the loss of Moonbin, including MJ, who has been serving in the military since 2022.

Members of Billlie are mourning the loss of Moonbin

Fans are not the only commenters on the posts Moon Sua made. Members of her group Billlie have also shown their love and support on Instagram.

Billlie member Sheon paid her respects on Moon’s most recent of her and Moonbin and wrote, “moonbin you were/still are loved by many and i hope you’re resting peacefully now, we’ll never forget you my love.”

Tsuki also commented on the photo, writing his name along with a crying face emoji.

Fans have sent love to Moonbin's sister Moon Sua on Instagram and Twitter

K-Pop artist and Moonbin’s sister Moon Sua has received several likes and comments on her Instagram posts she made as a tribute to her late brother.

Her was of her and Moonbin when they were young, and her is a picture of the two of them at what appears to be an event.

Fans worldwide have commented on both of her photos, and one fan even wrote “Be strong Moon Sua. we’re here for you.”

Other people have also sent their love to the artist on Twitter, with one user even that the singer is “deeply loved.”

K-Pop stars continue to pay tribute to Moonbin on social media

Several K-Pop entertainers are continuing to pay to Moonbin on social media following the news of his death.

Hani of EXID and RM of BTS posted black backgrounds on Instagram while comedian Kwon Hyuk Soo posted an with the caption, “I love you so much.. Im sorry and thank you and i miss you..”

Other entertainers from South Korea who have brought up Moonbin in interviews and radio shows include IU, Jang Sung Kyu, an Kim Shin Young.

Fans request respect for Moonbin’s death

Fans on Twitter have begun to request respect for Moonbin’s death, and to not make fun of him.

One user , “Let’s all be respectful for Moonbin’s death. It’s hard for everyone specially to his love one’s and some fans.”

Another fan on Twitter “the family literally said they wanna keep it as quiet as possible , please don’t threat their loss like a chance to make your numbers rise . respect their privacy in moon bin mattered to you 0.1% at the least .”

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Moonbin was an actor prior to joining ASTRO

Before becoming a member of ASTRO, Moonbin made his acting debut in the South Korean television series Boys Over Flowers.

He also had a cameo appearance in Forever Young and a supporting role in the South Korean show .

Prior to his death, he turned more of his focus on his music Moon Bin & Sanha, and had been scheduled to perform next month in Busan, South Korea.

Moonbin's death shines a light on the mental health crisis in the South Korean entertainment industry

The singer is just one of many singers in South Korea who have died by suicide in recent years.

K-Pop artist Jonghyun died in 2017 by suicide and detailing his depression and the pressure of being in the spotlight for nearly a decade.

Singers Goo Hara and Sulli were both found dead in their homes in 2019, both of which were confirmed by suicides.

As of now, it is still unknown if Moonbin left a suicide note prior to his death.

MJ on leave from military service following Moonbin's death

Following the news of Moonbin’s death, that ASTRO member MJ “urgently received an approval” to be on leave from his mandatory military service in South Korea.

MJ enlisted in the army back in May 2022, and his status regarding his participation with ASTRO will not be determined until after he is discharged. It is also unclear how long he will be on leave.

Multiple news outlets that active service in South Korea lasts 18 months, but men could serve up to 21 months depending on where they serve.

Despite meeting the age requirement, Moonbin had not enlisted in the army prior to his death.

Fans have left notes on the street for Moonbin

Fans are continuing to mourn Moonbin following the news of his death.

Several notes and photos have been posted by fans on the streets in South Korea to express their condolences. Fans have also since added balloons, flowers, and candles.

People on Twitter have also begun preparing memorials for the late musician, all throughout Europe and , and have called upon other fans to help.

One user “if anyone wants to help organise a memorial for our moonbin in , please comment or dm me!!”

K-pop group Billlie has postponed events following Moonbin's death

In the wake of Moonbin's death, Billlie released a confirming that they would be postponing and canceling events.

Mystic Story also confirmed that this would be the case for at least a week, but as of now have not listed a date of when they will begin events again.

"Regarding the fan signing event schedule, we will update you again through a further announcement, and we will provide additional notices regarding specific cancellations of other scheduled activities including broadcasts" officials stated.

"We ask for the generous understanding of fans."

Moonbin's sister is also a musician

Moonbin’s one and only sister Moon Sua is a member of the all-girl K-pop group Billlie, who made their musical debut in 2021.

Before this, she was a YG Entertainment trainee for ten years, and competed in the South Korea music competition Unpretty Rapstar 2, finishing in third place.

The group has released four EPs, the last one being on March 28.

DIVE Studios pauses content

DIVE Studios took to Twitter to announce that they are postponing all releases until next week to honor Moonbin.

“In light of Moonbin’s passing, we are postponing the release of all DIVE Studios and Mindset content for this week,” the studio wrote.

“We send our deepest condolences and appreciate everyone’s understanding.”

Moonbin has opened up about mental health struggles

Throughout his ASTRO career, Moonbin had been very open about his struggles with anxiety and stress.

In an interview with Korean media outlet  in 2019, Moonbin shared that he dealt with anxiety since he was young, revealing that he had gone to therapy and taken medication to manage his symptoms.

Moonbin said at the time that he used exercise and leaned on his relationships with friends and family to help manage his anxiety.

“I think it’s important for people to talk about their mental health and seek help when they need it,” he said in an interview with The Star magazine.

“It’s something that we should all be aware of and try to support each other with.”

Moonbin dead at 25

ASTRO singer Moonbin was 25 years old at the time of his death.

Fans mourn Moonbin on social media

Tributes to the star have poured in on social media.

“THIS NIGHT, YOUR STORY, YOUR PAIN, IT MATTERS. ALL OF IT MATTERS,” one Twitter user .

“You will be the Brightest star up there in the Sky… Farewell, Angel.”

Another user who got the chance to meet Moonbin noted that he had a happy presence on stage.

“You really don’t know what’s someone’s been going through,” they .

“Condolences to his family. I hope he find happiness & sending a lot of love.”

Moonbin survived by his sister

The K-pop star is survived by his family, including his sister Moon Sua.

Moon Sua is a member of K-pop group Billie.

The 23-year-old has yet to speak out about her brother’s death.

Moonbin’s hiatus, continued

Fantagio’s statement continued: “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.

Moonbin announced hiatus in 2019

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.”

Moonbin’s cause of death is unconfirmed

A cause of death for ASTRO star Moonbin has not been made available.

The musician was found deceased at his apartment in Seoul‘s Gangnam neighborhood by his manager, who called police immediately,  reported.

“It appears that Moonbin took his own life,” police said in a statement obtained by the outlet.

“We are currently discussing the possibility of an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Moonbin seen smiling in pictures weeks before death

Nearly a month before his death, MoonBin shared a series of photos of himself and his fellow ASTRO member Yoon San-ha backstage before they hit the stage in Seoul to kick-start their tour.

In one photo, MoonBin and San-ha were seen embracing before they began their set, while in another, they posed for a picture.

MoonBin captioned the post: “2023.3.18~19” alluding to what is believed to be the start date of their DIFFUSION fan meeting tour.

Fans pay tribute to Moonbin on socials

Since finding out about the death of Moonbin, fans have taken to social media to mourn the singer.

One fan : “moonbin you’re so greatly missed thank you for making us smile thru the happy and sad moments of our lives you will continue to make a big impact on us.”

Another fan : “even if i wasn’t a fan i loved moonbin and all members of astro. he was such a sweet soul, i’m still heartbroken by the fact such a young smile has left us.

“Please respect eo, theses idols are a part of us too. may his soul rest in peace.🕊️”