BTS' Suga donates W5b to support children with autism
Suga, a member of the globally renowned K-pop group BTS, has donated 5 billion won ($3.62 million) to Severance Hospital in Seoul to help build a treatment center named after his real name, supporting children with autism.
Severance Hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony for the "Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center" on Friday, according to hospital officials.
The new facility, set to open in September, will offer mental health care and therapy for young people with autism spectrum disorder. The center will provide language, psychological and behavioral therapy, and run programs that combine clinical treatment and research.
Suga has long supported mental health causes, according to the hospital.
"Even while performing with BTS, he has donated to charities and shown a strong interest in helping young people with depression and behavioral issues," it said in a release. "He has sought to find ways to use his music to make a positive difference."
Last November, Suga met with Cheon Keun-ah, a child psychiatry expert at Severance, and learned that children with autism need long-term, personalized care.
Together with Cheon, Suga helped create a new program called "MIND" (Music, Interaction, Network, Diversity), which uses music to help children with autism develop social skills. Kids in the program play instruments, sing, write lyrics and express their feelings through music.
Suga volunteered on weekends from March to this month, meeting children with autism and helping them with music activities. He played the guitar and taught kids to match rhythms, communicate and share their emotions through music.
Severance Hospital said the children showed clear improvements in expressing themselves and working with others as the program progressed.
The Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center will expand the "MIND" program and create more music-based therapy options after it opens in September, hospital officials said.
"I realized that music can be a powerful way to express feelings and communicate with the world. It made me happy to be part of the treatment process for children with autism. I will keep working so that more children can live as members of society."
Cheon praised Suga's dedication and said the center's goal is to help children with autism become independent and respected members of society through music.
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