K-pop Drum Duet Closes Diplomatic Meeting Between Japan and South Korea

A Surprising Moment at the Summit

A K-pop drum duet between the leaders of South Korea and Japan has sparked a wave of reactions online, highlighting the diplomatic relationship between the two nations. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared on Tuesday in matching blue jackets, performing popular K-pop songs, including "Dynamite" by BTS and "Golden" from the hit movie KPop Demon Hunters.

The performance paid homage to Takaichi's past as a drummer in a heavy metal band and marked Lee's official visit to Japan. It also proved to be an important diplomatic move, considering the complicated history between South Korea and Japan alongside their security alliance. Lee described the jam session as "a bit awkward," but it generated a viral video.

During the visit to Nara, Takaichi's hometown, Lee gifted the Japanese Prime Minister a set of drums, and the two leaders exchanged signed drumsticks after their performance. "When we met at APEC last year, [Lee] said that his dream is to play the drums, so I prepared a surprise," Takaichi wrote on platform X.

The images from the jam session received praise on social media, with one user writing in Korean: "Music seems to have the power to connect hearts at a deeper level than words ever could." Although there have always been tense moments between the two neighbors, particularly due to historical regulations and territorial disputes, both nations are allies of the United States and cooperate in the face of rising assertiveness from China in the region.