After hours of discussing nuclear weapons, economic security, and rare minerals, the leaders of Japan and South Korea decided to let loose. In an impromptu act of harmony, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan and President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea hit the drums, belting out K-pop hits, including BTS’ Dynamite and Kpop Demon Hunters’ Golden.
The jam session followed a recent summit held in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara, an ancient capital in southeastern Japan. For the performance, both leaders sat side by side and donned personalized track jackets emblazoned with their names written in cursive. The Japanese prime minister had hatched the idea herself, as a nod to her love of heavy metal and her past as an amateur drummer throughout her college days. But, beyond that, she also knew that playing the drums was a longtime dream of Lee’s.
“When we met at APEC last year, [Lee] said it was his dream to play the drums, so we prepared a surprise,” Takaichi wrote in a social media post. The concert, which lasted about 20 minutes, culminated in the leaders exchanging signed drumsticks, and Lee receiving one of the drum kits as a gift from Takaichi.
The gesture has since sparked viral praise, not just because of the unconventional—yet effective—diplomatic strategy, but also because it seemingly signals a new era for the East Asian neighbors. There has long been animosity between the two nations, thanks in no small part to World War II, Japan’s colonial reign of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, and other territorial disputes. Except now, amid increased geopolitical and economic tension, Takaichi and Lee have become unlikely allies, finding common ground in their anxieties toward both China and the United States.
“Music seems to have the power to connect hearts at a deeper level than words ever could,” a Korean user posted on X, according to the BBC. “Exchanges like this may be quiet, but they will surely help move relations between Korea and Japan forward.”
“Just seeing them actually playing drums together—not just posing—looks like they are having so much fun, and that’s what matters most,” another X user wrote in Japanese.
“[Takaichi and Lee] understand that Japan and South Korea are now vital partners,” Mira Rapp-Hooper, a partner at the Asia Group and former Biden administration official, told The New York Times. “The fact that this is happening as the basic foundations of the international system are shifting beneath their feet is all the more remarkable.”
Takaichi and Lee agreed to collaborate on a number of issues (besides their musical duet), including cracking down on organized crime, streamlining supply chains, and upholding a three-way security pact in the Pacific with the U.S., which was originally established in 2023.
“Like we respected our differences and harmonized our rhythms,” Lee remarked, “I hope that Korea and Japan would deepen cooperation and move closer to each other step by step.”
Following a recent summit in Nara, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung hit the drums side by side, belting out K-pop hits together.
Sources: Drum Diplomacy: Leaders of Japan and South Korea in Sync to K-pop; Japanese and South Korean leaders bang out surprise K-pop drum duet; Japanese and South Korean leaders jam to K-pop hits at a summit; K-pop drum duet between Japan and South Korea’s leaders caps off summit talks
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