BTS member SUGA (Min Yoongi) has donated 5 billion won to establish the “Min Yoongi Treatment Center,” aimed at treating and socially integrating children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

Severance Hospital announced on the 23rd that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Min Yoongi Treatment Center was held on the first floor of the hospital’s Jejung Hall.

The center, scheduled to be completed in September, will support the mental health of children and adolescents through language, psychological, and behavioral therapies and operate various programs linking clinical work and research.

SUGA and Professor Chun Geun-ah have been discussing since late last year through early this year about the construction of the treatment center and the use of music for social skills training for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

Based on these discussions, a social skills group program called “MIND” (Music, Interaction, Network, Diversity) was developed, incorporating musical content into existing social skills training programs.

SUGA personally met with children with autism spectrum disorders from March to June this year, using weekends to participate in the program’s development. He played instruments like the guitar himself, helping the children match rhythm and harmony, interact through music, and expand their emotional expression. He also taught the children how to play instruments.

SUGA said, “Over the past seven months, working with Professor Chun Geun-ah on preparing the program and volunteering, I deeply felt that music can be a precious way to express oneself and communicate with the world.

It was a great joy and gratitude to be part of the treatment process for children with autism spectrum disorders. I will continue to contribute so that more children can be part of our society.”

Professor Chun Geun-ah expressed, “I was deeply impressed by SUGA’s sincere and intellectual attitude, consistently shown throughout our time working together.

Our ultimate goal with the Min Yoongi Treatment Center and the ‘MIND’ program is to help children with autism spectrum disorders grow into independent beings and healthy social individuals through the medium of music, and to eliminate prejudice against patients with autism spectrum disorders and improve disability awareness.”