Suga (real name Min Yoon-ki), a member of BTS (BTS), donated 5 billion won to Severance Hospital to establish a "Min Yoon-ki Treatment Center" to support the treatment and independence of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
According to Severance Hospital, the center aims to be completed in September and will provide various programs linking clinical and research along with language, psychology, and behavioral treatments for autistic children and adolescents.
Suga has been constantly interested in mental health, youth depression, and psychological and behavioral problems even during his BTS activities, and he became involved in the project in earnest when he formed a relationship with Professor Chun Geun-ah of Pediatric Psychiatry at Severance Hospital in November last year.
After discussing with Professor Cheon, Suga agreed that autism spectrum disorder requires long-term and life cycle-specific treatment rather than short-term treatment, and thus donated 5 billion won to build the center. This is the largest donation for an individual entertainer in the history of Yonsei Medical Center.
The core program created based on this donation is Mind (MIND, Music, Interaction, Network, and Diversity). The program, which focuses on interaction and emotional expression through music, social training within the community, and respect for diversity, was developed as a new form of therapy that combines music content with existing social training.
Photo: BTS Suga and Yonsei Medical Center officials (Source = Yonhap News)
Photo: BTS Suga and Yonsei Medical Center officials (Source = Yonhap News)
From March to June this year, Suga visited the center in person and participated in the development of the program by playing guitar and other instruments with children. It helped autistic children express their emotions more actively through music-mediated interactions and shared rhythms and emotions through instrumental performances.
Severance Hospital explained, "As the program progressed, children's emotions and language expressions increased significantly, and social skills were also trained in the process of cooperating or waiting with other children." In fact, there were cases in which children, who usually had little language expressions, voluntarily chose and played musical instruments and shared their emotions with their peers.
Min Yoongi Treatment Center plans to upgrade its "mind" program in the future and build a self-reliant project model through music. The regular program will be expanded and operated in earnest after the center is completed.
Suga said, "I felt deeply that music can be a valuable channel to express the mind and communicate with the world," and added, "It was a great appreciation and happiness to be able to be with children with autism spectrum disorder. We will continue to help more children to be together as members of our society."
Meanwhile, Suga has been serving as a social service worker in Seoul since September 2023, and completed his call-up on the 21st. As a result, all seven BTS have completed their military service obligations.
