Moonbin was a beloved member of popular boys group ASTRO and its subunit Moonbin & Sanha. The 25-year-old artist was found dead at his Gangnam-gu apartment at 8 PM on 19th April 2023. This news of his sudden untimely demise at such a young age shocked many people. It makes us question once again about the mental health of K-pop idols that often face anxiety and depression because of many reasons. Many K-pop idols have chosen suicide and ended their lives because of depression till now and the list includes fx’s Sulli, Shinee’s Jonghyun, Kara’s Goo Hara, Surprise U’s Cha In Ha and many more. The list now has the newest addition Moonbin which just breaks fans’ hearts into pieces. 

Moonbin started his career as a child model and ulzzang, and then moved on to take up acting jobs in Korean dramas, including Boys Over Flowers. Following that, he joined Fantagio as a trainee and took part in their boy group initiative, iTeen. In 2016, he launched his career as a member of ASTRO and had subsequently released numerous albums and music videos.

The singer and idol was going through a rough patch in his life over career and health issues. He has been open about his experiences with anxiety and stress during his idol career. We all saw his happy and always smiling face of his on-screen. But nobody imagined that the star had always dealt with depression throughout his life. Back in 2019, he revealed for the first time that he had been dealing with anxiety since he was young and had sought therapy and medication to manage his symptoms. Moonbin emphasized that he relied on his close relationships with friends and family as well as regular exercise to cope with his anxiety! Moonbin broke the stigmas surrounding mental health in the K-pop industry by sharing his own struggles and provided a source of inspiration and support for fans who may be dealing with similar issues.

He stated that, 

"I think it’s important for people to talk about their mental health and seek help when they need it. It’s something that we should all be aware of and try to support each other with.”

The star went on several breaks from group activities between 2019 and 2020 due to health issues. ASTRO’s group activities were also in halt to treat each of ASTRO member’s mental health, especially Moonbin. Earlier this month, Moonbin again admitted that he is going through another mental breakdown during his live sessions with fans. On 8th April, after the concert of their subunit Moonbin & Sanha, he confessed this,

“I was going through a rough time. I tried to not let it show, but I think it did. I’m sorry… I’m trying to get better. I’m exercising and doing things I’ve been missing out on. I have to recover and make Aroha happy. […]I’ve chosen this job, so I need to handle it…”

When Moonbin was going through such a mental condition, he still tried to stay strong and attend their musical events with his fellow member Sanha who had no idea he may take such a step in-between. Their 2-days long concert in Jakarta on 13th May was canceled before the media found out he was dead on 19th April. Before his death, his last messages to fans have been revealed on the internet where he bid farewell to his fans.

Before his death, he said to his fans-

“Let’s make lots of memories in other places too…live well…bye for real now…let’s see each other later…”

Another shocking video is being shared on the internet which clearly says he was crying for help inside but holding up to get better. In his last Voice Live, he seemed to console himself for some unknown reason. His conversation with himself is as follows-

• “You’re tearing up for no reason, can I console you?

• Why are you crying?

• It's okay.

• Sometimes… Yes, sometimes you get teary.

• At times like that, sometimes it helps to just cry it all out.

• You can calm down after a good cry.

• It’s ok. It will all work out.

• Don’t worry.”

But the star really could not console himself in the end and apparently took his own life on the same day. Fans and everyone who knew Moonbin are now mourning the late singer and wishing him to be in a happy place now after all the hardships he went through in life. May his soul rest in peace…