Home > National > Social Affairs

BTS Suga's Min Yoongi Center for patients with autism spectrum disorder opens at Severance Hospital

Published: 01 Oct. 2025, 21:36

BTS member Suga [JOONGANG ILBO]

The Min Yoongi Center, a new facility at Severance Hospital dedicated to patients with autism spectrum disorder, opened on Tuesday. The center was established with a 5 billion won ($3.56 million) donation from BTS member Suga, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi.

Severance Hospital announced the center’s opening at Jejung Hall on the hospital’s first floor. Attendees at the opening ceremony included Yonsei University President Yoon Dong-sup, Yonsei University Health System President Keum Ki-chang and Autism Society of Korea President Kim Yong-jik. Cheon Keun-ah, a professor of child psychiatry at the hospital, will serve as the center’s director.

Suga has long sought ways to use his musical talent and fame to help pediatric and adolescent patients dealing with mental health issues such as depression, according to the hospital. After watching an interview with Professor Cheon, Suga reached out to the hospital through his agency and began communicating with Cheon in November of last year.

Through his conversations with Cheon, Suga learned that while long-term care tailored to the patient's lifestyle is essential for people with autism, there is a severe shortage of adequate treatment facilities.

In June, Suga donated 5 billion won to establish a treatment center specializing in autism. The donation was the largest ever made by a celebrity to Yonsei University’s Health System.

BTS member Suga, real name Min Yoon-gi, left, and Severance Hospital President Keum Ki-chan, right, hold up a plaque of appreciation for Suga’s donation in establishing the Min Yoongi Center at Severance Hospital in Seoul on Sept. 29. [YONHAP]

The Min Yoongi Center includes therapy rooms for speech and behavioral therapy, as well as group therapy rooms equipped with soundproofing and audio systems for music and social skills programs. The center’s waiting area features artwork by Lee Kyu-jae, a visual artist on the autism spectrum.

A group program developed by Suga and Cheon — “MIND,” short for Music, Interaction, Network and Diversity — will be conducted at the center. From the second half of last year through the first half of this year, Suga volunteered with Cheon to offer music-based activities for children with autism.

The center will also provide personalized, integrated therapy delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes child psychiatrists, music, speech and behavioral therapists and clinical psychologists.

Looking ahead, the center plans to expand its programs beyond music to include art, physical education and other creative therapies. It will also train professionals in related fields and engage in clinical research and academic publications.

The hospital said it plans to relocate and expand the center in the future to accommodate growing demand and further professionalize its services.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]