TOKYO — The leaders of Japan and South Korea agreed to deepen cooperation between their countries before they let loose with their own cultural exchange in a surprise jam session drumming to K-pop hits.
The musical performance between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung followed Tuesday’s summit in Nara, Japan, Takaichi’s hometown.
Wearing personalized athletic jackets, they sat side by side and drummed to hits such as BTS’ “Dynamite” and “Golden” from the Netflix film “Kpop Demon Hunters” in a short video posted by Takaichi’s office Wednesday.
The jam session was a surprise by Takaichi, a heavy metal fan and an avid drummer in her college days.
In a post on X, Lee thanked Takaichi for her hospitality in arranging the jam session, as playing the drums has been his longtime dream.
Lee said that, just as he and Takaichi respected each other’s differences and aligned their rhythms gradually while playing, he hoped South Korea and Japan would deepen their cooperation and become closer step by step.
Takaichi, in a video, complimented Lee as a fast learner, saying he learned to play the drums in just a few minutes.
“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.
