TOKYO – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung presented Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with a South-Korean made drum set during a visit to Japan this week, South Korea’s presidential office said Wednesday.
Takaichi is known to have played the drums in a heavy metal band as a university student.
Calling drums a central instrument to setting rhythm for performances, the presidential office said their “tenacious driving force and flexible harmony are in line with the Prime Minister’s political philosophy.”
The two leaders played drums together on Tuesday after their summit talks in Nara, the capital of Takaichi’s home prefecture in western Japan, in a surprise event showcasing their amicable personal relationship.
They played along to the hit song “Dynamite” by K-pop boy band BTS, and “Golden” from the U.S. Golden Globes-winning animated film “Kpop Demon Hunters.”
The drumsticks gifted by Lee were decorated with a traditional lacquerware technique.
Takaichi was also given Korean ginseng health supplements after the South Korean side expressed concern over the Japanese leader’s “busy schedule” following her October remark, “I will work, work, work, work and work,” which was selected as Japan’s top catchphrase for 2025.
AloJapan.com