BTS’s Suga has donated $3.6 million USD to launch South Korea’s first autism center combining therapy, research, and music. It’s the largest hospital donation ever made by a K-Pop star.
The facility, named the Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center, is located in Seoul and will be the first of its kind in the country. Scheduled to open in September 2025, the center will provide long-term care for children with autism, including speech therapy, behavioral treatment, mental health support, and evidence-based programs.
In addition to his incredibly generous donation, Suga spent weekends volunteering in music sessions he helped design—all while serving in the military. The idol played guitar, led rhythm exercises, and guided children in expressing their emotions through sound and movement. According to doctors, some nonverbal children began expressing themselves through rhythm and lyrics for the first time.
NextShark reports that Suga also co-developed a new therapy method called MIND, which stands for Music, Interaction, Network, and Diversity. Designed to help children with autism build communication and social skills, MIND integrates music as a key therapeutic tool.
Professor Cheon Keun-ah shared that “he never missed a session. He showed up before everyone else to practice, helped prep guitar parts, and tried hard to meet kids at their level.”
The center will also publish research, train therapists, and share the MIND program with other hospitals, laying the groundwork for a new, globally-minded model of autism care that begins in Korea.
Suga, legal name Min Yoon-gi, is a rapper, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of the globally beloved K-Pop group BTS. He also releases solo work under the name Agust D. Though he originally joined Big Hit Entertainment as a music producer, he debuted as BTS’s lead rapper in 2013 with the EP 2 Cool 4 Skool.
Source: Nextshark
