South Korea and Japan leaders play K-pop drums after summit

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung and Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi played K-pop songs together on matching drum kits after their bilateral summit in Nara and exchanged drumsticks. They also agreed on cooperation including DNA testing for 1942 coalmine victims and new economic security talks.

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung and Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi ended a two-day bilateral summit in Nara with an impromptu drum performance, playing K-pop songs including Golden and BTS's Dynamite. The moment was a surprise arranged by Takaichi, who previously played drums in a university heavy metal band. Lee said he learned to play the drums in "five, 10 minutes" and acknowledged their tempos differed while they tried to match rhythm together. The summit came a week after Lee's visit to Beijing, where Xi Jinping urged him to stand on "the right side of history." Details: - The leaders sat behind matching drum kits in matching blue uniforms and performed K-pop songs, then signed and exchanged drumsticks. - Takaichi's past as a university heavy metal drummer was noted and she posted video of the performance on her office's YouTube channel. - Lee described his rapid learning and posted that they tried to match rhythms to create a future-oriented relationship. - The summit produced cooperation on DNA testing for victims of the 1942 Chosei coalmine disaster, measures on scam crime, the launch of economic security talks, and discussions on North Korea. - The pair visited the Horyu-ji temple on Wednesday morning; sensitive issues such as "comfort women" and territorial disputes were not covered during the summit. Summary: Personal exchanges, including the drum performance and exchanged drumsticks, accompanied agreements on DNA testing for 1942 coalmine disaster victims, cooperation on scam crime, economic security talks and discussions on North Korea. Undetermined at this time.