BTS’ Suga Donates $3.8 Million to Set Up Long-Term Autism Support Center

BTS’s Suga (Min Yoongi) is making a meaningful return to public life after completing his mandatory alternative service. The rapper, who was recently discharged, has already announced his next major step. However, it is not related to music or other entertainment activities.

Suga is partnering with Severance Hospital to establish a specialized treatment center dedicated to supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The center, named the “Min Yoongi Treatment Center,” will focus on providing full mental health support for children and adolescents with ASD. It will offer a range of services, including language, psychological, and behavioral therapy, and will develop programs that connect clinical practice with ongoing research.

On June 23, Severance Hospital officially held a ceremony for the ‘Min Yoongi Treatment Center.’ SUGA also announced his donation of 5 billion won (approximately $3.8 million) to help establish the center. He expressed that long-term, specialized care, spanning at least ten years, is essential for bringing real, positive changes in the lives of those with ASD. 

His donation is now recognized as the largest ever made by an artist to both Severance Children’s Hospital and Yonsei Medical Center as a whole.

Suga’s involvement in this project has been ongoing since the end of last year. Last November, the “Daechwita” rapper had the opportunity to meet with Professor Cheon Geun Ah from the Department of Pediatrics at Severance Hospital. He is a leading expert in pediatric psychiatry. 

Through several in-depth conversations, he came to understand that patients with Autism require personalized, long-term treatment that supports them throughout different stages of life. However, Suga also learned that such care is often difficult to provide with the short-term therapy options currently available.

Together with Professor Cheon, they discussed creating a space that not only focuses on medical treatment but also supports social skills development, especially through music. 

These conversations led to the creation of the ‘MIND’ (Music, Interaction, Network, Diversity) program. It is a new social skills group program that uses music production, songwriting, and singing to build and improve social skills. This will help autistic children connect, communicate, and grow in a supportive environment.

Suga played an active role in the development of ‘MIND’. From March to June this year, he dedicated his weekends to working directly with the children. The 32-year-old rapper played guitar, taught them instruments, and gently guided their interactions. The early outcomes have been promising. 

Participating children, including those who hadn’t responded well to traditional therapy, have shown noticeable progress in emotional and verbal expression, as well as social skills like cooperation. 

The Min Yoongi Treatment Center is set to be completed in September. Once completed, it will launch new and expanded programs to better support patients. 

One of the main focuses will be social skills training through music, specially designed for patients with Autism and developmental disabilities. The center will also grow its existing services, like ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) and speech therapy, to help even more patients. 

Alongside treatment, the center plans to carry out clinical research, present academic studies, and publish program manuals. This will clearly show the effectiveness of the MIND program in helping children develop important social skills.

Suga shared his thoughts on working with autistic children, saying

Through preparing the program and volunteering with Professor Cheon Geun Ah over the past seven months, I deeply felt that music can be a precious channel for expressing one’s heart and communicating with the world. I am truly grateful and happy to have been able to be part of the treatment process for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and I will continue to offer my support so that more children can become part of our society.

On the work front, Suga along with his bandmates will resume solo activities for the time being as the BTS comeback is likely happening in March 2026. 

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