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While the K-pop industry reels from the loss of Moonbin, the idol's closest friends among those also born in 1998 are grieving the singer in their own way. All of them were close to the former ASTRO member, and would often post pictures of their interactions on social media.
VIVIZ's SinB and Umji (both formerly of GFRIEND), SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan, and iKON's Chanwoo were all part of the '98 liners squad along with the late vocalist, having grown close to each other over the years.
The Desire singer is not only survived by his family and ASTRO members, but also by his closest friends from the entertainment industry, with whom he has built a close rapport over the years.
SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan, IMFACT's Ungjae, and other '98 liners who Moonbin was close friends with
iKON's Chanwoo, VIVIZ's and GFRIEND's SinB
Chanwoo and SinB were child models alongside the late ASTRO member, and have been frequently photographed together since they were very young. It is believed that the trio have been friends for over 18 years.
SinB used to be neighbors with Moonbin, and the two of them even attended the same dance academy when they were children. They became friends with Chanwoo (who co-starred in a TVXQ! music video with the ASTRO singer when younger) somewhere along the way, and eventually the three became K-pop idols together as well.
The ASTRO vocalist was recently reunited with Chanwoo and SinB at a recent concert, where they recreated their photographs from when they were child models. Many Twitter users believe that these were the last interactions between the trio, making the event slightly bittersweet.
Umji
Moonbin and the rest of the '98 liners became close to Umji due to the friendship between her and SinB, with whom she has been in two groups. Both VIVIZ members have been spotted interacting with the rest of the group frequently, and are known to be very close to them.
Unfortunately, due to VIVIZ's overseas schedule, they were unable to attend their friend's funeral, a fact that many netizens were heartbroken about.
The Ark and Uni.T's Lee Suji and IMFACT's Ungjae
While the above group members of the '98 liners are well-known, not many people know of IMFACT's Ungjae and actor-singer Suji also being a part of the group. Their friendship with Moonbin and others was first noticed by fans when they thanked each other by name in their album messages.
Using someone's first name in an affectionate tone with no honorifics in Korea is a sign of familiarity, and usually only done by close friends.
The group has often had several interactions during music shows, congratulating each other on wins, greeting each other with smiles, and even embracing each other in emotional moments. All the 98ers (with Seungkwan), except for Chanwoo, were part of a special episode of MMTG, where their chemistry became even more obvious as they relentlessly teased and praised each other in equal measure.
Both Ungjae and Suji have posted about Moonbin on their respective Instagram pages, with the former asking him to visit the IMFACT member in a dream and the latter penning a letter to her late friend hoping that he was happier, despite missing him terribly.
SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan
ASTRO's Moonbin and SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan were known to be very close, a fact known by fans of both groups. Apart from the aforementioned interactions with the rest of the '98 liners, Seungkwan often spent time with the former ASTRO singer. The duo having posted pictures of their meetups, with cycling and hiking being some of the activities they did together.
Seungkwan even sent a cake for Moonbin's birthday earlier this year, with the latter posting a photograph of himself with the cake, tagging Boo Seung-kwan in his post.
The pair have often teased each other on camera as well, such as when the late vocalist proclaimed that DK was his favorite SEVENTEEN member just to tease the Pit a Pat singer. Not one to take ribbing lightly, he responded that he liked Cha Eun-woo better than Moonbin.
Seungwan followed the late ASTRO member on Instagram after his death, making Moonbin the only person followed by MC Boo apart from his group members. He has also taken time off from promotions to mourn his friend.
Many idols close to Moonbin have visited the memorial space created by FANTAGIO for him. Moon Sua (his sister), ASTRO's Cha Eun-woo, Sanha JinJin, and MJ, SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan and Mingyu, and more, have written heartfelt letters to the deceased singer-songwriter, as have hundreds of fans.
According to a notice issued by ASTRO's agency, fans can visit the memorial space till the end of April to pay their respects to the memory of Moonbin.
