Takaichi and Lee end first day of summit on a high note with drum session

They rounded off their summit meeting on Tuesday with an unexpected jam session where the two played drums along to some K-pop hits

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung walk into the Horyu-ji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara prefecture, Japan Jan 14, 2026. YUICHI YAMAZAKI/Pool via REUTERS

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung rounded off their summit meeting on Tuesday with an unexpected jam session where the two played drums along to some K-pop hits.

In a short video posted on the Japanese Prime Minister's office Youtube channel on Wednesday morning, the two leaders played the drums to global hits from the likes of BTS and Kpop Demon Hunters.

Takaichi, a keen drummer and fan of heavy metal, complemented Lee's new found chops.

"The president learned to play the drums in just 5, 10 minutes," she said in the video.

"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," Lee posted on X on Wednesday morning.

While ties between Tokyo and Seoul have often been strained in the past, Takaichi and Lee have forged a friendlier relationship and on Wednesday morning the two also visited Horyuji Temple in Nara, Takaichi's hometown.

In statements on Tuesday, Takaichi and Lee said they aimed to deepen security and economic ties in the face of growing tensions in East Asia and to continue "shuttle diplomacy", with Takaichi next due to visit South Korea.