- Fantagio Under Fire for Allegedly Overworking Late Astro Member Moonbin 목차
Fans of the late Moonbin, a member of the South Korean boy band Astro, are demanding answers from his management agency, Fantagio, following his untimely death. The artist was found dead at his home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on April 20th. Fans have taken to social media to express their anger and disappointment, alleging that the agency pushed Moonbin to maintain an unreasonable schedule despite his poor physical condition.
On May 9th, a netizen posted on the online community Nate Pan, calling for an explanation from Fantagio regarding Moonbin's death. The post quickly gained traction on social media and online communities, garnering support from netizens and fans alike.
Astro fans had been concerned about Moonbin's health since a live broadcast on April 8th, in which he admitted to not feeling well. The video was made after Moonbin & Sanha, a sub-unit of Astro, finished their concert in Bangkok, Thailand. Despite his poor health, Moonbin continued with his scheduled activities, including performances in Macao, Japan, and Taipei, Taiwan.
K-pop Stars BTOB and BTS Suga Suspend Activities to Pay Tribute to Moonbin
Cube Entertainment, the agency managing K-pop group BTOB, announced today that the group will suspend promotional activities for their 12th mini-album "WIND AND WISH" to mourn the passing of fellow artist Moonbin. The announcement was made through BTOB's o
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Fantagio had acknowledged Moonbin's poor physical condition in a notice posted on April 7th, stating that he had experienced dizziness and was tested for COVID-19 at the airport before leaving for Thailand. The test came back negative, and the agency allowed Moonbin to proceed with his scheduled activities.
Fans are now demanding an explanation for why Moonbin was allowed to continue with his unit activities, despite his poor health. This has led to renewed scrutiny of the agency's handling of their artists, particularly in light of the death of another Fantagio talent, Cha In-ha, who died by suicide in December 2019 after battling depression.
The netizen who started the discussion asked whether Fantagio has plans and measures in place to prevent similar tragedies from happening to their remaining artists. They also threatened a boycott if the agency fails to provide a satisfactory explanation, stating that the situation reflects the "rotten reality" of the Korean idol industry, which treats artists as money-making machines rather than human beings.
