BTS’ Suga has donated 5 billion won (approximately $3,616,000) to Severance Hospital to establish a treatment center under his name at Yonsei Severance Hospital!
On June 23, a representative of Yonsei Severance Hospital officially announced that the hospital and Suga will establish a specialized treatment center to support the treatment and social independence of patients with autism spectrum disorder.
On this day, Severance Hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Min Yoon Gi Treatment Center dedicated to the treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The center will provide support for the mental health of children and adolescents through language, psychological, and behavioral therapies and plans to operate a variety of programs that connect clinical practice with research.
In November of last year, Suga met with Professor Chun Geun Ah, the Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and expressed his understanding of the need to establish a specialized treatment center capable of providing long-term support—over 10 years—for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder, in order to bring about positive changes in symptoms. To this end, Suga announced his intention to donate 5 billion won to Severance Hospital.
From late last year to early this year, Suga and Professor Chun discussed the use of music-based social skills training and developed the MIND program. MIND is an acronym that stands for enhancing interaction and sensory experiences through “Music,” providing opportunities for forming social relationships and communication (“Interaction”), learning the process of naturally building connections within a community (“Network”), and fostering a society that respects individual diversity and encourages inclusion (“Diversity”).
Professor Chun Geun Ah commented, “I sincerely thank Suga not only for his financial support but also for the genuine talent donation and volunteer work he has shown over the past several months. I was deeply impressed by Suga’s consistent sincerity, always approaching everything with a serious and thoughtful attitude. The ultimate goal of the Min Yoon Gi Treatment Center and the MIND program is to help children with autism spectrum disorder grow into independent individuals and healthy members of society through music, and, in doing so, to break down prejudices and improve awareness about autism spectrum disorder.”
Suga also remarked, “Through the past seven months of preparing programs and volunteering with Professor Chun Geun Ah, I have come to deeply realize that music can be a valuable channel for expressing one’s heart and communicating with the world. Being able to take part in the treatment process for children with autism spectrum disorder has been a great honor and happiness for me, and I will continue to do my best so that more children can become members of our society.”
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