29/06/2025
What a Heart â¤ď¸
Korea dispatch instagram Update | 250623
SUGA to Establish âMin Yoongi Treatment Centerâ⌠Donates 5 Billion KRW to Support Children with Autism
âMusic can be a precious bridge⌠I hope more children can become part of our society.â â SUGA
BTSâs SUGA is establishing the âMin Yoongi Treatment Centerâ for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He has generously donated 5 billion KRW (approx. $3.6 million USD) to Severance Hospital â the largest donation ever made by an artist.
On the 23rd, Severance Hospital held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Min Yoongi Treatment Center. They announced, âWe are establishing a specialized treatment center to support the care and social independence of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, in collaboration with SUGA.â
|| BTSâs Suga Donates âŠ5 BillionââMin Yoongi Treatment Centerâ to Be Built at Severance Hospital ||
Severance Hospital and BTS member Suga (real name Min Yoongi) are establishing a specialized treatment center to support children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in both therapy and social integration.
On the 23rd, Severance Hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony on the first floor of Jejungwon Hall for the âMin Yoongi Treatment Center,â dedicated to young patients with ASD. The facility will offer language, psychological, and behavioral therapies, support mental health, and operate various programs that link clinical care with research.
Even during BTS activities, Suga has consistently donated and shown concern for mental health, behavioral issues, and especially adolescent depression, looking for ways to help through his musical talents.
Last November he met Dr. Cheon Geun-ah, a leading child psychiatrist at Severance Hospital. Through several meetings they found that ASD patients need lifelong, tailored careâsomething short-term interventions canât provide. Agreeing that a long-term specialized center was necessary, Suga pledged âŠ5 billion (about USD 3.6 million). Across the entire Yonsei medical system, it is the largest artist donation ever.
From late last year into early this year, Dr. Cheon and Suga discussed the centerâs design and developed a music-based social skills program called âMIND,â merging musical content with the existing curriculum.
MIND stands for boosting music-based interaction and sensory experience (Music), creating opportunities for social Interaction, learning to form a community Network, and embracing Diversity. Children in the program play instruments, sing, write lyrics, and express their emotions and thoughts through music and words.
From March to June this year, Suga spent weekends meeting children with ASD and helping refine the program. The Min Yoongi Treatment Center will now build on MIND and develop a self-sustaining music project model, offering music-based social skills training and other therapy sessions for people with ASD and developmental disorders.
Existing services such as ABA (applied behavior analysis) and speech therapy will also be expanded. To validate MINDâs effectiveness, the team plans clinical research, academic papers, and a program manual.
Dr. Cheon said, âBeyond financial support, I sincerely thank Mr. Suga for his months of genuine volunteer work and talent sharing. The ultimate goal is to help children with ASD grow into independent, healthy members of society through music, and to reduce prejudice and improve public awareness.â
Suga added, âOver the past seven months of planning and volunteering, Iâve realized how music can be a precious pathway for expressing oneself and connecting with the world. Being part of these childrenâs treatment process has been an honor and a joy. I will keep supporting so more children can become full members of our community.â
