Suga, a member of the global K-pop sensation BTS, has made a substantial donation of 5 billion won (approximately $3.6 million) to establish the Min Yoon-gi Center. This new specialist care facility, named after the singer’s real name, will provide comprehensive support for autistic individuals, particularly children and teenagers.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the centre was held at Severance Hospital in western Seoul, which will house the facility on the first floor of its Jejung Hall building. Completion of the centre is anticipated in September.
A Focus on Long-Term Support and Music Therapy
The Min Yoon-gi Center is designed to offer a range of essential services, including language, psychiatric, and behavioural support for young autistic individuals. It will also develop various therapy programmes in collaboration with clinical research.
According to Severance Hospital, Suga has expressed a deep personal interest in aiding autistic children and teenagers, particularly in addressing issues such as preventing depression and exploring how music might assist in their development.
The artist actively participated in developing a music therapy programme. He attended related sessions on weekends between March and June this year, even during his military service leave. This direct involvement highlights his personal commitment to the initiative.
Suga began working with Professor Cheon Keun-ah from the Department of Psychiatry at Severance Hospital last November. Through these discussions, he learned that existing short-term treatments often proved insufficient for autistic individuals to achieve lasting results. This understanding motivated his substantial donation, which is intended to support comprehensive, long-term treatment programmes spanning more than 10 years. Severance Hospital has confirmed that this marks the largest single donation by an individual artist to the hospital.
Enhancing the MIND Programme
The newly established Min Yoon-gi Center will significantly enhance the MIND programme, a music-based initiative co-developed by Suga and Professor Cheon. MIND, an acronym for Music, Interaction, Network, and Diversity, aims to improve interaction, build social networks, and promote diversity among autistic children and adolescents. The programme involves activities such as playing instruments, singing, writing lyrics, and expressing emotions through music and writing.
Early results from Suga’s personal participation in these sessions were notable, with children who had previously shown limited verbal or emotional responses beginning to engage, express themselves, and collaborate with peers.
Professor Cheon expressed profound gratitude for Suga’s involvement. “Beyond financial support, SUGA’s sincerity and consistent volunteer work over the past several months have been deeply inspiring,” she stated. “His dedication to children with ASD is truly commendable. The ultimate goal of the Min Yoongi Treatment Center and MIND program is to help these children grow as independent, healthy members of society, while also changing societal perceptions of autism.”
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Suga himself completed his mandatory military service on June 21, being the last member of the septet to do so. He shared his motivation: “While I was preparing the program with Prof. Cheon Keun-ah and doing volunteer work, I learned how music can become a pathway for communication and self-expression. It has been such a pleasure and privilege to join the journey of supporting autistic children. I’ll continue to support efforts that help more children become part of our community.”
Feature image: Marie Claire Korea
