BTS member Suga (real name Min Yoon-gi) donated an incredible 5 billion won to support a specialized treatment center for patients with autism spectrum disorder. Following a heartfelt apology for the drink-driving scandal involving a scooter last year, he proved his sincerity this time with the 5 billion won donation.

On the 23rd, Severance Hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony for the "Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center" on the first floor of Jejungwan, aimed at treating children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The center will operate a specialized treatment system that integrates clinical research in addition to language, psychological, and behavioral therapy.

This project began after Suga's meeting with Professor Cheon Geun-a from the Severance Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department last year. He has long been interested in youth mental health and autism spectrum disorder and deeply empathized with the need for a long-term and systematic treatment environment, donating a total of 5 billion won. This is the largest donation ever made by an artist in the history of Yonsei Medical Center.

Especially noteworthy is Suga's social group program "MIND," which incorporates his musical capabilities. From March to June this year, Suga participated in the program development by meeting children with autism spectrum disorder on weekends. He played instruments such as guitar to help the children match rhythms and harmonies and encouraged them to express their emotions through music. Furthermore, he also taught the children to play the instruments themselves.

Children who participated in the program expressed their emotions through instruments and were praised for naturally developing social skills through collaboration with their peers. Children who had limited verbal expression also showed positive changes, proving once again the healing power of music.

This move can be interpreted as Suga sincerely apologizing to fans and society after facing controversy over drink-driving a scooter last year, and showing his authenticity following a period of reflection. After his recent release from military service, Suga reflected on the past two years: "I had been so focused on moving forward that I didn’t have a chance to look back at myself, but this time has provided an opportunity to reevaluate myself."

He continued, "I am sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by what happened last year. More than anything, it was upsetting to hurt the feelings of the fans. I also felt sorry for the members who must have felt heavy-hearted in their respective places because of me."

In September, after the completion of the construction of the Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center, regular program sessions will be newly expanded. Various treatment sessions will be operated, utilizing music for social skills training for patients with autism spectrum disorder and individuals with developmental disabilities. Existing practices such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and speech therapy will also be expanded. Additionally, clinical research, academic paper presentations, and program manual publications will be promoted to objectively demonstrate the effectiveness of the MIND program.

Professor Cheon Geun-a expressed gratitude, saying, "Beyond financial support, I sincerely appreciate the authentic talent donation and volunteer work that Suga has demonstrated over the past few months. I was deeply impressed by Suga's dedication, always showing a serious and intellectual attitude."

Suga stated, "Through the program preparation and volunteer work alongside Professor Cheon Geun-a over the past seven months, I have deeply felt that music can be a precious channel for expressing feelings and communicating with the world. Being able to be a part of the treatment process for children with autism spectrum disorder itself was a great source of gratitude and happiness, and I will continue to lend support so that more children can be part of our society."

[Photo] Provided, OSEN DB

[OSEN]