The Japan Times - Japan, South Korea leaders drum up viral moment with K-pop jam

The two leaders, dressed in matching blue sports tops personalised with their names, posted images of themselves on X jamming after they met in Takaichi's home region of Nara Tuesday.

During talks they agreed to strengthen cooperation on economic security and regional and global issues, according to South Korea's presidential office, while Takaichi stressed the Asian neighbours "should cooperate to ensure regional stability".

"Following the summit I played drums with President Lee Jae Myung," Takaichi, who used to drum in a student heavy metal band, said in her X post.

"When we met at APEC last year, he said it was his dream to play the drums, so we prepared a surprise," she said, adding the leaders played two K-pop songs -- "Dynamite" by megastar boy band BTS and "Golden" from the US Golden Globe-winning animated film "KPop Demon Hunters".

A clip of the pair showed Takaichi drumming energetically, with a huge smile on her face.

Lee admitted 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."

The leaders visited one of Japan's oldest temples in Nara on Wednesday morning. Lee is due to leave later Wednesday.

Looming in the background of the meeting was Japan's heated diplomatic spat with China, triggered by Takaichi's suggestion in November that Japan could intervene militarily if China attacks Taiwan.

Lee said that cooperation between the two US allies "is more important than ever".

"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.

Lee, relatively more dovish towards North Korea than was Yoon, has said that South Korea and Japan are like "neighbours sharing a front yard".

K.Abe--JT