(SEOUL) South Korean K-pop star Moonbin, a member of the band Astro, died Wednesday at the age of 25, according to his label Fantagio.
“Astro member Moonbin left our world unexpectedly on April 19, becoming a star in the sky,” Fantagio label wrote on its official Twitter account in Korean.
He did not provide any presumed cause of death.
The statement asks everyone to “refrain from speculative and malicious reporting” so that his family can pay their respects and honor him in peace.
Moon Bin – who performed as Moonbin – was a member of Astro and also performed with a subgroup called Moonbin & Sanha.
He joined the Fantagio label’s trainee program at an early age and debuted with Astro in February 2016, which then had six members.
Moon Bin’s sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop singer, member of a girl group called Billlie.
“So saddened by the loss of one of the most beautiful souls ever encountered through music! Prayers for his family and friends and employers and fans! someone wrote on Twitter reacting to the Fantagio label announcement.
Several other young K-pop stars have died in recent years, including two suspected suicides in a month in 2019. The two women, who were close friends, had been targets of harassment on social media.