President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi performing a drum duet (Photo source: President Lee Jae-myung’s X account, screenshot)
NARA, JAPAN & SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan struck an unexpected and highly symbolic chord on Tuesday, performing an impromptu drum duet following their summit meeting in Nara Prefecture.
The private performance took place during an off-the-record reception after the leaders’ bilateral talks and was arranged by the Japanese side without prior notice to Seoul, according to Kim Nam-jun, a spokesperson for South Korea’s presidential office. The event was intended as a surprise gesture underscoring goodwill and cultural exchange between the two countries.
Photographs later shared by President Lee on social media showed the two leaders seated side by side behind a pair of drum kits made by Pearl, a well-known Japanese instrument manufacturer, both wearing matching blue uniforms embroidered with their national flags and names in English.
President Lee Jae Myung (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pose for a photo after exchanging drumsticks during their informal meeting that followed their summit talks in Nara, Japan, on Jan. 13, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
“It was clumsy, which somehow made it fit even better,” Mr. Lee wrote, joking that he merely “added a spoonful” while acknowledging Prime Minister Takaichi’s superior skill. He added that even if the beats were not perfectly aligned, the shared effort reflected a common desire to build a forward-looking relationship between South Korea and Japan.
Prime Minister Takaichi, a longtime drum enthusiast who once played in a heavy metal band during her student years, led the session and offered President Lee an impromptu lesson. The two played along to “Golden,” the theme song from the animated hit K-Pop Demon Hunters, and BTS’s global pop anthem “Dynamite.”
After the performance, the leaders signed their drumsticks and exchanged them as keepsakes. President Lee was quoted as saying that the moment fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing the drums.
Mr. Kim described the event as a carefully crafted cultural program designed to highlight the personal rapport and mutual respect between the two leaders, turning a routine diplomatic reception into an intimate moment of shared expression.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
