Japan-South Korea Drum Diplomacy

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held a summit in Japan — Nara, Japan, where they agreed to strengthen cooperation on economic security and regional stability. The meeting concluded with an unexpected and widely publicized drumming session, where both leaders played K-pop songs 'Dynamite' by BTS and 'Golden' from 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'. This informal cultural exchange, planned as a surprise by Sanae Takaichi after Lee Jae Myung expressed a dream of playing drums, symbolized a desire for improved bilateral relations despite historical tensions and current geopolitical complexities involving China and Taiwan. The leaders committed to continuing 'shuttle diplomacy' and deepening cooperation in security and economic ties, with the United States as a trilateral partner.