Duet on K-pop rhythms between the leaders of Japan and South Korea. The moment that conquered the internet

An unexpected, almost surreal moment has set social media on fire and brought the complicated but essential relationship between Japan and South Korea back to the fore. At the end of the bilateral summit, the leaders of the two countries chose to speak not through rigid statements, but through music.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played the drums/PHOTO:X

Dressed in matching blue jackets, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took to a small stage on Tuesday and drummed to K-pop beats including BTS's “Dynamite” and “Golden,” a track from the KPop hit movie Demon Hunters. The moment ended Lee's official visit to Japan and was also a subtle nod to Takaichi's artistic past, having played in a heavy metal band as a youth, reports the BBC.

The duet is part of the South Korean leader's broader strategy to mend and strengthen relations with regional powers, particularly Japan — a neighbor with which Seoul shares a painful history but also a strategic security alliance. “A bit awkward,” as Lee himself described it, the moment quickly went viral.

During the visit to Nara, the Japanese prime minister's hometown, Lee presented her with a set of drums and the two leaders exchanged signed drumsticks in a symbolic gesture. “When we met at APEC last year, he told me his dream was to play drums, so I prepared a surprise for him,” Takaichi later wrote on the X platform.

Online reactions were quick to emerge. “Music has the power to connect hearts deeper than words,” commented one South Korean user. “Seemingly small exchanges like this can really help improve relations between Korea and Japan.”

However, many tensions persist between the two states, from resentments related to the Japanese colonial period to territorial disputes. At the same time, both are allies of the United States and are cooperating increasingly closely in the face of China's growing assertiveness in the region.

On Tuesday, Sanae Takaichi stressed that the partnership between Japan, South Korea and the US is becoming increasingly important in a regional context marked by instability. The two leaders also agreed to step up economic cooperation at a sensitive time when Beijing has tightened exports of rare earths and dual-use goods to Japan.

“The fact that they actually sang together, not just posed, shows that they are genuinely having fun – and that's what matters most,” wrote one Japanese user. “Both countries are going through difficult times, but if we meet halfway, things can go in a good direction.”

Lee Jae Myung's diplomatic skills increased his popularity domestically. Just days before the viral moment in Japan, he met in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he took selfies with a Chinese phone. Last year, he flattered former US President Donald Trump by presenting him with a large gold crown.

The only leader he has failed to conquer remains Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang rejected Lee's overtures and recently apologized to Seoul after accusing South Korea of ​​flying surveillance drones over its territory.

Lee's rise to the presidency initially raised concerns in both Tokyo and Washington. Little known outside the country's borders, he was perceived as a radical politician with sympathies for left-wing economic policies. The US feared getting too close to China, South Korea's main trading partner, and Japan feared a repeat of the 2019 crisis, when Seoul threatened to abandon an intelligence-sharing agreement.

Since then, Lee has walked a carefully balanced diplomatic line between the great powers of the region. In a message posted on X, the South Korean leader praised Takaichi's musical talent and compared their diplomatic efforts to a drumming duet.

“Even if our rhythm was not perfectly synchronized, the desire to find the same measure was shared,” he wrote. “In the same spirit, we will continue to build a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship with one heart together.”

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