With the passing of ASTRO member Moon Bin, the fact that he suffered from a sudden illness two weeks ago has been brought into the spotlight.
On April 7, ASTRO‘s official fan cafe posted an announcement on the official ASTRO fan cafe titled, “ASTRO Moonbin’s Physical Condition.”
“This morning, our artist ASTRO Moonbin was scheduled to depart for Thailand for the ‘2023 FAN CON: [DIFFUSION] IN BANGKOK tour,’ but after arriving at the airport, he felt unwell with dizziness, so he did not board the plane and took a rapid COVID-19 antigen test just in case,” the agency said.
“The test results confirmed that he was negative and he is currently resting and stabilizing. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to passengers and airline officials who boarded the plane due to the sudden situation, and we will do our best to ensure the health and well-being of our artists,” he added.
Moonbin‘s death is especially shocking as he had been performing as a member of the group and their unit “Moon Bin & Sanha” until recently. On the 15th, a video of Moon Bin’s dance challenge was posted on Astro’s official YouTube channel.
According to Yonhap TV on Tuesday, Moonbin was found dead at his home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul at 8:10 p.m. on Nov. 19. His manager reportedly called the police after finding him.
“The police believe that Moonbin made an extreme choice and are investigating the exact cause of death and are reportedly considering an autopsy,” the media outlet said.
“On April 19, ASTRO member Moonbin suddenly left our side and became a star in the sky,” the agency said in a statement on its official SNS on April 20. “Although we cannot compare to the sadness of the bereaved families who lost their beloved son and brother, all ASTRO members who have been with us for a long time, as well as our fellow artists and employees at Fantagio, are deeply mourning the loss with great sadness and shock,” the statement continued.
“We ask that you refrain from speculative and malicious reporting so that the family, who are deeply saddened by this sudden news, can honor and pay their respects.”
According to Fantio, the funeral will be held as quietly as possible, with only family members and company colleagues in attendance, in accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family. Mr. Moon’s body is being held at Asan Medical Center Funeral Home in Seoul. The wake is scheduled for 8 a.m. on April 22.