The Moon Meets the Stars: A Tribute to ASTRO’s Moonbin

*Trigger Warning: This article includes mentions of suicide, self-harm, and mental illness.*

It was a calm Wednesday afternoon, and I was working on my research project on gun violence data. Describing it as “calm” could be seen as an overstatement, considering that searching up the exact locations of almost 200 gun violence cases would not usually fit one’s criteria for the word “calm.” Yet I remained perseverant and continued my work. 

After completing about one hour of research work in the business library, I decided to take a break and check my phone for any important messages. Somehow, I ended up scrolling through my Instagram feed, and just then, I came across a particular post that required me to take a second look. 

My hand immediately covered my mouth for a full minute as I tried to make sense of the post’s headline: “Moonbin, Member of K-Pop Band ASTRO, Dies at 25”. 

Right at the moment, I just wanted to hide my entire face in my hands and break down.

But I knew I couldn’t. In fact, I wasn’t supposed to. I am on the executive board of Women in Business, and we were already scheduled in an hour to take group photos before our last meeting of the semester. 

And so, for the rest of that day, not a single tear rolled down my face; I knew I had to be present and willing to help my team out as best as I can. 

While this account of mine was only on a micro scale, I can only imagine how Moonbin must have felt on the countless occasions when he himself had to force a smile as he performed impeccably on stage and happily greeted his fans. 

As someone who has been a fan of Moonbin and ASTRO for over three years now, I am beyond devastated. I give my deepest condolences to Moonbin and those affected.

moonbin’s death

On the evening of April 19, 2023, Moonbin was found unresponsive by his manager in his apartment in Gangnam, Seoul in South Korea. His manager decided to visit his home because Moonbin was not responding to any of his contacts. 

Fantagio, the entertainment company of Moonbin and ASTRO, released a statement on social media regarding Moonbin’s death. “On April 19, Astro member Moon Bin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky.”

There is no official report confirming his cause of death, but police suspect that Moonbin died by suicide. 

about moonbin

Moon Bin, known professionally as Moonbin, was a member of the K-Pop boy band ASTRO. The official fandom name of ASTRO is “AROHA,” which combines “ASTRO,” “Heart,” and “All Fans” as a way to symbolize the love between ASTRO and their fans. ASTRO made their debut in 2016, with Moon Bin as the lead vocalist and main dancer of the group. 

Before becoming a K-Pop star, Moonbin launched his career as a child actor and model. 

Moonbin has a younger sister named Moon Sua, who is currently a member of the K-Pop girl group Billlie. She and Moonbin have always shared a special bond as siblings, with Moon Sua always looking up to her older brother as her inspiration and role model. They have made several appearances and mentions of each other on several local variety shows, and they also did a live duet performance of “Candy in My Ears” by Baek Ji-Young ft. Taecyeon. 

Moonbin also made his debut under a subunit called Moonbin & Sanha with fellow ASTRO member Sanha, who is the youngest of the group. On Sept. 14, 2020, they released their first EP titled “In-Out” along with the title track “Bad Idea.” The subunit went on to release two EPs, titled “Refuge” (2022) and “Incense” (2023). 

Moonbin has been known to be close friends with several other K-Pop idols, including SinB from Viviz and Seungkwan from SEVENTEEN. 

One of Moonbin’s most memorable features is his natural eye smile, which caught the attention of many viewers since his debut. 

The South Korean star’s talent never went unnoticed as Moonbin always delivered stellar performances through his angelic vocals, exquisite dance skills, and incredible stage presence. 

Finally, Moonbin has been known by many to have a warm and kind personality. He was always there to cheer up and take care of his fellow ASTRO members, along with everyone else around him. 

a note on mental health and resources

I’m going to be honest. I don’t usually write about K-Pop in any of my articles. But the news of Moonbin’s passing has left a mark on me, and I knew I couldn’t just overlook it. Especially after having been an AROHA for more than three years, I never expected such a sudden tragedy to take place. 

Mental health is a very relevant topic that I believe needs to be more deeply discussed in today’s society. In the K-Pop industry, there have especially been many conversations around how K-Pop idols suffer under the pressure to be perfect, whether it is in appearance, personality, or performance skills. This has led to numerous cases of K-Pop idols falling victim to mental illness and to a deeper extent, suicide and suicidal thoughts. 

With Moonbin’s situation, it’s not hard to imagine that he has struggled mentally and emotionally at certain points in his life. Even though I am just one of the millions of fans of Moonbin, the least I can do is bring awareness to the issue of mental health, self-harm, and suicide. If you or anyone you know are struggling with mental health, here are some resources to check out: 

Suicide and Crisis Hotline

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) at CU Boulder

SAMHSA Resources

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