The singer’s death is the latest such case among prominent young celebrities in South Korea.
K-pop star Moon Bin was found dead at his home at the age of 25, his management agency said Thursday.
The singer, a member of the popular boy band ASTRO, was reportedly found unresponsive by his manager on Wednesday evening in Seoul.
The police are currently investigating the cause of death but have so far found no signs of foul play, according to the Yonhap news agency. Officials at Seoul’s Gangnam district police station did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moon Bin’s music label, Fantagio, confirmed his death in a statement Thursday.
“On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin has suddenly left our world and has become a star in the sky,” the agency said on its official Twitter page. It said that fellow artists were mourning him in a state of “very deep sadness and shock.”
“Please refrain from speculative and malicious reporting for the bereaved family who have received this sad news unexpectedly and let them mourn in reverence,” the statement added.
The family will be holding a funeral with friends and colleagues as privately as possible, it said.
The statement did not contain any information regarding the cause of death.
Local media reported that one ASTRO member had taken an urgent leave from the country’s military and that another had cut a trip to the U.S. short in the wake of the news.
Moon Bin, born Jan. 26,1998, was an actor and model before joining ASTRO. The six-member groups debuted in 2016 after the members had appeared in a popular reality show.
It quickly found success in both South Korea and Japan, with Billboard listing ASTRO on the top 10 list of new K-pop groups that year.
The group released three full-length albums, 10 EPs, and two single albums. Hit songs include “Candy Sugar Pop,” “All Night,” “Crazy Sexy Cool,” and more.
Moon Bin was also a member of the duo Moonbin & Sanha. On Wednesday their promoter announced the cancellation of a concert in Indonesia “due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.”
His sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop celebrity, being a member of the girl group Billlie. The group has canceled or postponed all scheduled events in the wake of her brother’s death, as have other K-pop figures.
The unexpected loss prompted an outpouring of shock and sadness on social media, with fans thanking Moon Bin for his work and expressing sympathy .
Moon Bin’s death is the latest such case among prominent young celebrities in South Korea, a trend that has prompted the country to reflect on the pressure faced by stars in the fast-growing entertainment industry, a toxic online fan culture and attitudes toward mental health.
Last week, actress Jung Chae-yull was found dead in her apartment at the age of 26.
South Korea has the highest rate of death by suicide among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.