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AFP, TOKYO
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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played two K-pop songs during a post-summit drumming session with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who joked he felt “a little awkward” in front of the former heavy metal band member.
The two leaders, dressed in matching blue sports tops personalized with their names, posted images and video of themselves on X jamming after they met in Takaichi’s home prefecture of Nara on Tuesday.
They sat side by side and drummed to hits such as BTS’ Dynamite and KPop Demon Hunters’ Golden in the short video posted yesterday by Takaichi’s office.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pose behind drum sets in Nara, Japan, on Tuesday.
Photo: Japanese Government Public Relations Office via Jiji Press / AFP
During talks they agreed to bolster cooperation on economic security and regional and global issues, the South Korean Presidential Office said, while Takaichi stressed that the Asian neighbors “should cooperate to ensure regional stability.”
“Following the summit I played drums with President Lee Jae-myung,” said Takaichi, who used to drum in a heavy metal band as a student.
“When we met at APEC last year, he said it was his dream to play the drums, so we prepared a surprise,” she said.
A clip of the pair showed Takaichi drumming energetically, with a huge smile on her face.
Lee wrote on X that “it was a little awkward at first, but the more I tapped, the more the sound came together.”
“We shared the same intention to keep the rhythm even when the beats were slightly different,” he said. “We will work together with one heart to build a future-oriented relationship between South Korea and Japan.”
In the video, Takaichi complimented Lee on his new found chops.
“The president learned to play the drums in just 5, 10 minutes,” she said.
The leaders yesterday morning visited one of Japan’s oldest temples in Nara.
Looming in the background of the meeting was Japan’s heated diplomatic spat with China, triggered by Takaichi’s statement in November that an attack on Taiwan could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan that triggers a military response.
Cooperation between the two US allies “is more important than ever,” Lee said.
“In this increasingly complex situation and within this rapidly changing international order, we must continue to make progress toward a better future,” he said.
On the bilateral front, bitter memories of Japan’s brutal occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945 have cast a long shadow over Tokyo-Seoul ties.
Lee’s conservative predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, who declared martial law in December 2024 and was removed from office, had sought to improve relations with Japan.
Relatively more dovish toward North Korea than Yoon, Lee has said that South Korea and Japan are like “neighbors sharing a front yard.”
“In order to develop Japan-South Korea relations in a forward-looking way and stably, we will continue our close communication between the two governments including by proactively carrying out our ‘shuttle diplomacy,’” Takaichi said in a message on X.
Additional reporting by AP and Reuters
