BTS' Suga co-authors music-based therapy manual for children with autism
The book, titled The MIND Program, is a clinical manual written in Korean designed to support children with autism through music-based therapy.
Suga of BTS, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, co-authored The MIND Program, a manual for a music-based training program for young people with autism. (Photo: BigHit Entertainment, Hakjisa Publisher)
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Fans of Suga will be happy to know that the artist is showing off multiple talents beyond music. The BTS member has co-authored a manual for a music-based therapy programme aimed at supporting children and adolescents with autism.
Titled MIND Program, the book is available for pre-order with a wider release in bookstores across South Korea expected on Thursday (Mar 19), Severance Hospital in Seoul announced on Tuesday.
The book was co-authored by Suga, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, and a research team chaired by Professor Cheon Keun-ah, a psychiatry professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine’s Severance Hospital, who is also the lead author.
MIND – which stands for Music, Interaction, Network and Diversity – is a music-based therapeutic framework designed to help children with autism build social and communication skills.
The MIND Program focuses on interaction through music. Activities such as playing instruments and participating in ensemble sessions are used to help children develop skills like listening, turn-taking and coordination.
The programme stems from a collaboration between Suga and Professor Cheon that began in 2024, driven by a shared interest in improving long-term therapeutic, medical and social support for children with autism.
The collaboration led to the opening of the Min Yoongi Centre at Severance Hospital in September 2025, supported by Suga’s donation of 5 billion won (US$3.36 million). Professor Cheon was also appointed the centre’s first director.
A video released by Severance Hospital also showed Suga contributing to the programme from its early planning stages. He later participated as a volunteer music instructor in pilot sessions, working directly with children in June 2025.
In the book’s foreword, Professor Cheon described Suga’s involvement as reflecting “the sensibility of an artist who understands the power of music better than anyone”, adding that he demonstrated “a sincere commitment to vulnerable groups”, according to Korea Biomedical Review.
The book, which costs 22,500 won, is currently available only in Korean, and the research team at Severance Hospital said there are no confirmed plans for an English translation.
