Flonique Guimary

Drum duet between South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s Sanae Takaichi goes viral

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Peter Andrew Acierto

Push Team

<p>A drum duet between South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi became an instant hit on social media. The two leaders were spotted wearing matching jackets while beating the drums to hit K-Pop songs. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="width:100%;margin:10px auto;display:flex;max-width:550px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:672px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2011063583204147463&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-01-21T05%3A03%3A28.637191%3A89109e33-9d7a-4d1a-b787-000531be9b0e%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e7a2da28cd9c27101113fcbe3c49872fb60d1f9c&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2011063583204147463"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>The two performed &quot;Dynamite&quot; by K-Pop boy group BTS and &quot;Golden&quot; from the hit film,<em> KPop Demon Hunters. </em></p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="width:100%;margin:10px auto;display:flex;max-width:550px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:672px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2011054602620453375&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-01-21T05%3A03%3A28.637191%3A89109e33-9d7a-4d1a-b787-000531be9b0e%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e7a2da28cd9c27101113fcbe3c49872fb60d1f9c&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2011054602620453375"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>Their viral performance came after the meeting they had to strengthen their diplomatic ties within the region earlier this month. The South Korean President flew to Japan where he was warmly welcomed by the Prime Minister of Japan. </p><div><br/></div><p>In her X (formerly Twitter) account, Sanae Takaichi shared that she recalled how Lee Jae Myung once mentioned that it was his dream to play the drums. She was once a drummer of a heavy metal band. </p><div><br/></div><p>“When we met at APEC last year, he mentioned that his dream was to play the drums, so I prepared a surprise for the occasion. We performed to &#x27;Golden,&#x27; which won the Best Original Song award at the recent Golden Globe Awards, and BTS&#x27;s &#x27;Dynamite.&#x27; President Lee said he was delighted to have fulfilled his long-held dream of playing the drums,” Japan’s Prime Minister shared in her translated caption.</p><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Lee Jae Myung shared on his X account as well how their performance came to be. In one of the photos he shared, the two leaders seemingly exchanged signed drumsticks after their music session.  </p><div><br/></div><p>“Even though the beats were a little off, it felt like our hearts were aligned in trying to match the rhythm, and just like that, we&#x27;ll work together with one mind to build a forward-looking Japan-Korea relationship,” he wrote in the translated caption. </p><div><br/></div><p>The iconic and impromptu performance reached millions of views from all over the world as it was refreshing to see the leaders of each nation jamming. Several netizens shared the performance of the two leaders on various social media platforms.</p><div><br/></div><div> </div>

<p>The leaders of South Korea and Japan enjoyed a drum duet after their diplomatic meeting earlier this year. </p>

The leaders of South Korea and Japan enjoyed a drum duet after their diplomatic meeting earlier this year.

LOOK: Drum duet between South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s Sanae Takaichi goes viral

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LOOK: Drum duet between South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s Sanae Takaichi goes viral

Drew Acierto,

Push Team

Published January 21, 2026 04:13 PM PHT

Read More:

Sanae Takaichi

Lee Jae Myung

South Korea

Japan

BTS

Golden

KPop

KPop Demon Hunters

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