Suga, a member of BTS—the global K-pop phenomenon—has donated $3.6 million to South Korea’s Severance Hospital to establish a treatment center for children with autism spectrum disorder. The donation sparked a wave of support from BTS’s global fanbase, ARMY, who collectively raised over $147000 within 24 hours.
Severance Hospital confirmed on June 24 that public contributions to the “Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center” had surpassed $147167 as of 9 a.m., just a day after Suga’s donation was announced. The hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony the previous day to officially begin construction of the new facility.
Set to open in September, the center will offer speech, psychological, and behavioral therapy for children and teens, while also supporting clinical research programs.
Suga played an active role beyond the donation itself. Over seven months, he collaborated with child psychiatry expert Professor Chun Geun-ah to develop music-based therapy programs, and personally interacted with children receiving care.
Following the announcement, Severance received an influx of donation inquiries from fans and the general public. The hospital added a dedicated section on its website for ongoing contributions to the Min Yoon-gi Center.
By 3:30 p.m. on the same day, donations had already passed $73583, and with continued support, the total reached $147167. Global ARMY members have been actively sharing donation links online, and the figure is expected to rise once international payment options become available.
