Japan and South Korea leaders break into Ok-pop drumming after historic summit | EUROtoday

Japanese and South Korean leaders have pledged to deepen cooperation between their nations, sealing their dedication with an sudden Ok-pop drumming session that delighted onlookers.

The distinctive cultural trade noticed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung carry out collectively following Tuesday’s summit in Nara, Ms Takaichi’s hometown.

Donning personalised athletic jackets, the 2 leaders sat side-by-side, drumming alongside to in style Ok-pop tracks, together with BTS’s “Dynamite” and KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden”.

A brief video of the efficiency was later shared by Ms Takaichi’s workplace on Wednesday.

The impromptu jam session was orchestrated by Ms Takaichi, a identified heavy steel fanatic and eager drummer throughout her faculty years. President Lee expressed his gratitude for her hospitality, revealing that enjoying the drums had been a long-held dream.

He drew a parallel between their progressively aligning rhythms and his hope for South Korea and Japan to deepen their cooperation step-by-step.

In the video, Ms Takaichi praised President Lee as a fast examine, noting he mastered the drums in mere minutes.

She affirmed the dedication to ongoing dialogue, stating: “In order to develop Japan-South Korea relations in a forward-looking way and stably, we will continue our close communication between the two governments including by proactively carrying out our ‘shuttle diplomacy.’”

KPop Demon Hunterswhich Netflix has stated is its most-watched movie of all time, has amassed greater than 541 million hours seen worldwide. It was the best charting soundtrack of 2025 with eight of its songs touchdown on the Billboard Hot 100. It additionally made a splash in theatres in August the place it was estimated to have made round $18 million (which might have topped the charts if Netflix launched theatrical earnings) and acquired a subsequent launch over Halloween weekend.

On Sunday, the movie gained a Golden Globe for greatest animated function, whereas ‘Golden’ was named greatest authentic tune.

In a tearful speech, singer-songwriter Ejae recalled her “tireless” pursuit to turn into a Ok-pop idol solely to be rejected.

She devoted the award to “people who have [had] their doors closed at them”. Quoting the tune, she added: “It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.”

“I’m so a part of a tune that’s serving to different ladies, different boys and everybody all get by their hardship to just accept themselves,” she stated.