'Dynamite' diplomacy: Japan's Takaichi, South Korea's Lee Jae Myung in K-pop drum battle— watch

The Japanese and South Korean leaders engaged in a diplomatic jam session. The PM office of Japan shared the video of the two leaders drumming to the beats of popular K-pop songs.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, in the video, appeared in a blue track jacket with their names imprinted on it. The two engaged in a drumming session to tracks like Dynamite by BTS and the Golden Globe-winning song Golden from K-pop Demon Hunters, following their meeting in the Japanese PM's hometown, Nara.




PM Lee Jae Myung later, in a post on X, shared about the interaction, jokingly confessing that he felt "a little awkward" playing in front of a metal drummer. Expressing optimism in the relationship between the two nations, Myung said that the two leaders "shared harmony atop our individual rhythms."

It felt a bit awkward at first, but with each beat, the sounds came together as one," he wrote.

He also expressed the long-held dream he had of playing drums and thanked Takaichi for the opportunity.

"Playing the drums was a long-held dream of mine, so the time was all the more precious for the Prime Minister’s thoughtful consideration. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we were able to share a special moment, exchanging our true feelings through music."

Ending his statement on a musical note, Myung wrote, "Just as we respected each other’s differences and found our rhythm together, I hope that the two nations of Korea and Japan can deepen their cooperation and take one step closer with each passing moment."

Takaichi also took Myung on a tour of Horyu-ji Temple, an architectural site among some of the world’s oldest surviving wooden architecture that illustrates Japan's adoption of Buddhism via the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has been in Japan to meet the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for the Nara summit held on Tuesday. The meeting was held with an aim to improve the sometimes-strained relationship as Tokyo faces a deepening row with China.