Macau show axed after K-pop star's death

A fan meeting in Macau with South Korean boy band Astro set for tomorrow has been canceled, after the suspected suicide of one of its members, Moon Bin, on Wednesday evening.

Moon was 25. He was found dead by his manager at his home in the Gangnam district of Seoul.

His funeral will be held tomorrow - originally the date of his fan meeting in Macau. Refund arrangements will be announced shortly, event organizers SKN Live said.

"We would like to express our condolences to his family for the heartbreaking loss and may his soul rest in peace," the organizers said.

Korean media reported that suicide was suspected. But police declined to comment.

Moon's label Fantagio Music released a statement after midnight confirming his death without disclosing the cause.

"On April 19, Astro member Moon Bin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky," the label said.

It asked people to "refrain from speculative and malicious reports" so that his family can pay their respects and honor him in peace.

Moon - who performs under the name Moonbin - was an actor and child model before debuting with Astro in February 2016. Members of the boy band also included Korean actor Cha Eun Woo.

Moon also performed with a subgroup called Moonbin & Sanha.

The subgroup were in the middle of their Diffusion Fan Con Tour across Asia and had scheduled shows in Macau tomorrow and Taipei next Sunday.

The organizers of both shows announced the cancellations, hours after news of the singer's death.

Fans of Moon who bought tickets for the concerts paid tribute to the singer online.

A mainland fan, who bought a ticket to the Macau show, said: "This is the worst way you are known by everybody. Everything should have been going on the right track and you were set to come to Macau in only two days."

A Taiwanese fan wrote: "I thought we had passed all the hurdles brought by the pandemic and we'd meet soon in a week but life is full of uncertainties."

A fan from Indonesia, who would have seen Moon at his Macau show, said: "I hope there can be an Astro concert after [band member] MJ is discharged from military duty how come it's like this."

A Hongkonger, Lau, who loves K-pop culture, believed that intense workload is common among Korean singers.

"They made their debut at such a young age, but at the same time, their daily schedule is packed with events," said Lau, who is in her 20s. "They may exhaust themselves mentally and physically."

"I can't focus on work now. This really hurts," said another fan.

Still another added: "Rest in peace, Moonbin. I hope the stars and the moon treat you well."