Beats of unity: Takaichi (right) and Lee playing the drums after their meeting in Nara, western Japan. — Reuters
The Japanese and South Korean leaders leaders agreed to deepen cooperation between their countries before surprising everyone with a cultural exchange during a 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 personalised athletic jackets, they sat side by side and drummed to hits such as BTS’ Dynamite and Kpop Demon Hunters’ Golden in a short video posted by Takaichi’s office yesterday.
The jam session was a surprise by Takaichi, a heavy metal fan and an avid drummer in her college days.
Lee, in a message on his own X, thanked Takaichi for her hospitality in arranging the jam session, as playing the drums has been his long-time dream.
Just like they respected each other’s differences and aligned their rhythms gradually, Lee said, he hoped South Korea and Japan will deepen their cooperation and become closer step by step.
Takaichi, in a video, complimented Lee as a fast learner, saying he learnt 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. — AP
