BTS’ Suga recognized for volunteer work at autism center

BTS member Suga / Xportsnews

BTS member Suga is being recognized for his deep personal involvement in launching a treatment center for children with autism.

On Tuesday, a video titled "Comfort through music: The story of the Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center" was uploaded to the official YouTube channel of Seoul’s Severance Hospital. The center, named for Suga’s birth name, aims to support children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental conditions.

In the video, Cheon Keun-ah, a pediatric psychiatrist at Severance Hospital, described the project as “a miracle center that fulfills a long-held dream.”

“Children with autism grow into adults, and I always wished our hospital had a rehabilitation program to help them achieve social independence," she said.

Cheon revealed that Suga had long been interested in developmental and mental health issues, particularly those affecting children and adolescents. “I’ll never forget the first day I met him,” she said. “I had written a 500-page textbook on autism spectrum disorder, and he had read a significant portion of it before our meeting. His questions were incredibly insightful and sharp — I was honestly surprised.”

BTS member Suga / Captured from Severance Hospital's YouTube channel

Suga visited Cheon in November last year to express his desire to contribute musically to the cause. “That’s when I realized he wasn’t just a donor,” Cheon said. “He never once arrived late, and he even came earlier than me to practice the guitar. He worked hard to connect with the children at their level. I’ll never forget how happy he looked during those sessions.”

On Monday, BigHit Music announced that Suga and Severance Hospital had partnered to create a dedicated treatment center for children and adolescents with ASD. The same day, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the center, which will offer language, psychological and behavioral therapy, as well as programs that combine clinical care and research.

Hospital officials say the donation behind the project is the largest ever received from an artist in the history of Severance Children’s Hospital and the entire Yonsei Medical Center network.

Suga recently completed his alternative military service as a social service agent, with his discharge confirmed on Saturday.

This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.