- By Piyali Bhadra
- Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:02 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
K-Pop group ASTRO's member Moonbin passed away on April 19, at the age of 25. The singer was found dead at his home in Southern Seoul, where now his agency Fantagio has announced a new memorial space for the singer and has released an official statement.
Post the singer's death, his agency Fantagio Music released an official statement that read, "On April 19, ASTRO member Moon Bin unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky."
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The agency further added, "For the bereaved family, who has fallen into great sorrow due to this sudden tragedy, to be able to respectfully mourn the departed and say their goodbyes, we entreat you to please refrain from speculative or malicious reports."
According to a report in Hindustan Times, the agency released an official statement regarding the singer's new memorial space which read, "This is Fantagio. First, we express our deep gratitude to AROHA (ASTRO's official fan club) for personally visiting the Sky Park until the 49th day since Moonbin's passing, reminiscing of Moonbin's most shining moments together and sharing sorrow while providing comfort."
It further read, "We fully empathize with AROHA's wishes to honor Moonbin a while longer. Therefore, after a long and careful discussion with the bereaved family, we have prepared an external memorial space so that AROHA who always sends unsparing love can greet Moonbin for a little while longer.
The statement continued, "Although Moonbin's religion is not Buddhism, at the request of the bereaved family, we have prepared the "Moon's Space" at an area in Guk Cheongsam Temple at Namhansanseong, and [the memorial place] will run long-term starting from June 7, 2023, at 5:30 a.m. KST.
It also read, "It may be very uncomfortable because the road to Gukcheongsa is uphill and narrow, but we sincerely hope that it becomes a space that AROHA can comfortably visit anytime and feel at least a little soothed and comforted."
The statement also added details regarding the directions and operating hours which read, "1. Information on operating hours- Gukcheongsa is open from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. However, please make sure to visit at 5:30 a.m. at the earliest and leave by 6:30 p.m. Furthermore, the parking lot inside Gukcheongsa will be closed from 6 p.m., and entry by car will not be possible, so please arrive by at least 5:30 p.m. to AROHA who [are arriving] on their vehicles."
It further continued, "2. Directions- Address to Namhansangseong Gukcheongsa: 105 Namhansangseong-ro 780 gil, Namhansangseong-myeon, Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province."
The statement also added, "As Gukcheongsa is a Buddhist temple located within the mountains of Namhansangseon, please understand there may be many inconveniences in transportation and travel. Furthermore, it is a rough hiking trail that you have to walk, so we recommend you bring water in advance. Foreign visitors are expected to experience various inconveniences when using taxis, so please refrain from using taxis."
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Adding more details, the statement read, "3. Information on refraining from leaving floral tribute- We would be grateful if you please refrain from leaving food and floral tributes and [only leave] letters and notes. We fully understand that they are for Moonbin, but the Buddhist temple is located in the mountains, so it is difficult to preserve them intact due to insects and debris."
It further mentioned, "We plan on installing a board on one side of the Moon's Space so that AROHA can attach notes, and we are going to collect them regularly and store them all valuably. We would be grateful if you could place the letters inside the letterbox placed at the Moon's Space."
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The statement concluded by saying "We express our deep gratitude to AROHAs who are always with ASTRO."
Late singer Moon Bin was a member of the group ASTRO and also performed with a sub-group called 'Moonbin and Sanha.' Before the death of the singer, the sub-group was set to perform at the upcoming concert which was one of the largest K-pop joint concerts in South Korea in May.