South Korea and Japan leaders end Nara summit with K-pop drum performance

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concluded a two-day bilateral summit in Nara on Jan. 14 with a closing moment few observers would have predicted. The two leaders, wearing matching blue uniforms, sat behind drum kits and performed “Golden” from Netflix’s “K-Pop Demon Hunters” and BTS’s “Dynamite.” The performance followed agreements on DNA testing for victims of the 1942 Chosei coalmine disaster, cooperation against scam crimes and the launch of economic security talks.

The joint performance was arranged after Takaichi recalled a comment Lee made during an earlier meeting in Gyeongju that learning to play the drums had been a lifelong dream. Takaichi, who played drums in a university heavy metal band, led much of the session and later said on social media, “The president learned to play the drums in just five, 10 minutes.” Lee later acknowledged the gap in skill levels in his own social media post, writing, “Although our tempos were a bit different, we both tried to match the rhythm together – we will create a future-oriented relationship with one heart.”

The Nara summit came one week after Lee’s visit to Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping urged him to stand on what he described as “the right side of history,” remarks widely interpreted in the context of China’s tensions with Japan and the U.S. In Japan, Lee positioned South Korea as a partner willing to engage both neighbors, while he and Takaichi also agreed to cooperate on North Korea and visited the Horyu-ji temple together the following morning. Contentious issues such as wartime forced labor and the comfort women dispute were not addressed publicly during the summit.