Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed to further strengthen cooperation between their countries, then surprised the public with a cultural exchange of their own by drumming together to K-pop hits.
The impromptu jam session followed their summit on Tuesday in Nara, Japan’s ancient capital and Takaichi’s hometown.
Wearing matching athletic jackets, the two leaders sat side by side and played drums to popular songs including BTS’ “Dynamite” and “Golden” by K-pop Demon Hunters in a short video released by Takaichi’s office on Wednesday.
The performance was arranged as a surprise by Takaichi, a heavy metal fan who played drums during her university days.
“Playing the drums has been my longtime dream,” Lee wrote on X, thanking Takaichi for arranging the session. “Just as we respected our differences and harmonised our rhythms, I hope Korea and Japan will deepen cooperation and grow closer step by step.”
Takaichi praised Lee as a quick learner, saying he picked up the basics in just a few minutes.
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She also said Japan and South Korea would continue close communication between their governments and push forward their “shuttle diplomacy” to develop bilateral relations in a forward-looking and stable manner.