This surprise drum duet between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has gone viral, adding an unexpected and playful ending to summit talks in Japan.
Wearing matching blue jackets, the two leaders sat side by side behind drum kits and played along to K-pop hits including BTS’s Dynamite. The performance wrapped up Lee’s official visit and nodded to Takaichi’s past as a heavy metal drummer.
Lee later described the session as “a little clumsy,” but the video quickly spread online, drawing praise for showing a warmer and more human side of diplomacy. During the visit, Lee gifted Takaichi a drum set and the pair exchanged signed drumsticks.
The moment also carried symbolic weight. Japan and South Korea share a long and difficult history, but they are close security partners and allies of the US, especially as tensions rise with China and North Korea. Both leaders have been pushing for closer cooperation.
In the post on X that you see above, Lee compared their drumming to diplomacy. “Even if our timing was slightly different, our intention to find the same rhythm was shared,” he wrote, adding that the same spirit would guide future Japan South Korea relations.