Seoul, Apr 20 (EFE).- Moonbin, K-Pop star and member of the boy band Astro, has died after apparently committing suicide at the age of 25, South Korean police said Thursday.

According to police, Moonbin was found dead in his flat in southern Seoul by his manager on Wednesday evening.

“We understand that Moonbin lived alone in his house. Although we believe he committed suicide, we are also considering conducting an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death,” an officer who preferred not to be identified told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

His agency, Fantagio, confirmed the death in a statement on social media.

“On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin suddenly left us and has now become a star in the sky,” Fantagio said, asking fans to “refrain from speculative or malicious reports” for his family “to be able to respectfully mourn the departed and say their goodbyes.”

In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, the funeral will be held as quietly as possible, with family, close friends, and agency colleagues in attendance.

The singer debuted in 2016 with the sextet Astro, a group known for hits such as “Crazy Sexy Cool”, “Baby”, “Confession” or the more recent “Candy Sugar Pop”, the latter with more than 41 million views on Youtube.

Moonbin’s death highlights the enormous pressure faced by K-Pop celebrities and the few resources at their disposal to deal with the intense spotlight that comes with their global stardom.

There have been several high-profile examples in recent years, such as the suicide of former SHINee group singer Kim Jong-hyun, which shook the industry when he took his own life in December 2017 at the age of 27.

In 2019, the K-Pop actress and singer known as Sulli committed suicide at the age of 25 after suffering intense cyberbullying campaigns, and in the same year, singer Goo Ha-ra, who left a note saying she felt “very pessimistic” about her life after being threatened by a former partner, also took her own life. EFE

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