Celebrating Moonbin; the K-Pop musician’s life as a member of ASTRO and as part of Moobin and Sanha

The world of K-Pop is in mourning today after the announcement that Moonbin, a member of the popular K-Pop group ASTRO and the band’s offshoot project Moonbin and Sanha, has died at the age of 25. The news was officially announced by ASTRO’s record label, Fantagio Entertainment, on social media, which read “we would like to apologise for the sad, heart-breaking news. On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin suddenly left us to become a star in the sky.”

“Although we cannot compare our sorrow to the grief that the bereaved families are feeling, losing a beloved son and brother, the ASTRO members, fellow Fantagio artists, company executives and employees are mourning the deceased in great sadness and shock.”

Moonbin was set to perform with Sanha at Dream Concert in Busan, which was announced yesterday (April 19), though the organiser of the event has as of writing not yet made a statement regarding plans going forwards. Fellow K-Pop band, Billie, which features Moonbin’s sister, Moon Sua, have halted all activities going forwards after the death, the NME have reported. 

Moonbin, born Moon Bin, first made his mark in the K-Pop scene in 2016 as a member of ASTRO, as part of the international boom in interest for the music genre. As opposed to BTS, who fused electronica, rock and hip-hop, ASTRO instead provided listeners with a smoother, R&B prominent sound, though still also retaining the highly stylized dance routines that have become a tenet of the K-Pop movement. 

ASTRO released their debut album, All Light, in 2016 which immediately debuted at the top of the South Korean album charts (the GAON), with their follow up albums, Switch On and Drive to the Starry Road also topping the charts. The immediate success of the group, and the overwhelming wave of K-Pop being embraced by Western culture also saw the group pen deals with Pepsi and Lotte Duty Free.

A common occurrence in both K-Pop and over the sea in the realms of J-Pop and Idol culture in Japan, ASTRO members split off to undertake either solo projects or in the case of Moonbin and Yoon San-ha form sub-groups within their faction; Moonbin and Sanha first released music in 2020 with their EP In-Out, which peaked at #2 in the Korean album charts and as recently as January made their return with a third EP, Incense.

In the world of music these days, having a crossover appeal has become as integral as having a good song, and with his background as a trained dancer, Moonbin soon found himself involved in television after the initial success of ASTRO, firstly becoming a mentor with fellow ASTRO member Rocy in the South Korean dance competition Under 19, before transitioning into the hallowed, wonderful world of K-Drama with appearances in Korean dramas, including Boys Over Flowers and The Mermaid Prince.Early reports have suggested that Moonbin’s family plans to hold a quiet funeral with Moonbin's relatives, friends, and co-workers, however we are very sure that the K-Pop contingent online and throughout the world will be continuing to pay their respects to another tragic loss in the world of music - only earlier in the month, S Club 7 member Paul Cattermole had died, shortly after news that the band were set to reform for a reunion tour.