Heartbreaking news has rocked the K-pop industry today. Moonbin, a member of boy group ASTRO, has died at his home in Seoul, according to an official announcement by the South Korean entertainment agency Fantagio.
“On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin suddenly left us and has now become a star in the sky,” the agency wrote. Korean outlets previously reported that the singer was found dead at his home by his manager.
To celebrate his legacy, here are 10 things to know about the beloved K-pop star.
1. Moonbin was only 25 years old.
He was born on January 26, 1998 in Cheongju, Chungbuk Province, South Korea.
2. Moonbin graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School.
The K-pop idol focused on Practical Music in the famed art school, which has long been attended by notable names of the Korean entertainment industry, including former f(x) member Krystal Jung, Red Velvet’s Yeri, and Moonbin’s very own groupmate, Cha Eun Woo.
3. Moonbin was the main dancer and lead vocalist of ASTRO.
Debuting on February 23, 2016, ASTRO consists of MJ, Jinjin, Cha Eun Woo, Sanha, and Moonbin, alongside former member Rocky. Among the group, he was the designated lead vocalist and main dancer. The idol also uploaded several dance covers of hit songs from ITZY, NewJeans, Seventeen, and more.
4. Moonbin was part of the subunit Moonbin and Sanha.
The K-pop star was a part of a subunit with his fellow ASTRO member Sanha which debuted in 2020, with the release of their EP on the same year. At the time of his death, the subunit played several shows across as part of their Diffusion Fan Con Tour, with Macau supposedly being their next stop.
5. Moonbin’s sister is also a K-pop idol.
His younger sister is Moon Sua, a member of the Korean girl group Billie. The brother-and-sister duo even performed on a special stage for the South Korean program Music Bank, where they collaborated on a cover of Baek Ji Young's Candy In My Ears.
6. Moonbin was childhood friends with several stars.
As a child actor, Moonbin had already rubbed shoulders with future stars of the K-pop industry, including iKON’s Chanwoo and SF9’s Chani. The three soon-to-be celebrities starred in pop duo TVXQ’s Balloon music video, along with talent shows such as Star King.
Moonbin also grew up with GFRIEND’s SinB, who used to be Moonbin's neighbour as a kid. They even attended the same dance academy and kept up with their friendship after their debut.
7. Moonbin starred in the hit K-drama “Boys Over Flowers.”
Aside from being a K-pop idol, Moonbin also starred in several K-dramas. He had his start in acting on the 2009 classic Boys Over Flowers, where he played a young So Yi-jung, who is later played by Kim Bum.
8. Moonbin was nicknamed “Puppycat” by his fans.
ASTRO’s fandom AROHA has always been endeared by the late star. In fact, Moonbin is playfully nicknamed “Puppycat” across their circle, due to his unique eye smile that resembled the adorable qualities of both animals.
9. Moonbin was a foodie.
The star had made his penchant for gastronomic delights clear after appearing in several food-centric shows and videos on- and offline. This included a lunch date with his sister Moon Sua on DNA Mate, and even took on a zero-waste cooking challenge for the Food-vengers program.
10. Moonbin’s last performance in Manila was a month prior to his death.
As part of his Diffusion tour with Sanha, Moonbin’s last appearance in the Philippines was on March 25, the second stop after Seoul.
Rest in peace, Moonbin!
*This story originally appeared on Preview.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
