On Tuesday, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ms Takaichi said that Mr Lee had talked about his dream of playing the drums when they met at last year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, prompting her to prepare the set-up as a surprise.
Mr Lee, in his own post on X on Wednesday, thanked Ms Takaichi for the thoughtful gesture, saying it had been a long-held ambition of his to play the drums.
He said that the performance felt “awkward” at first, but the rhythm gradually came together and allowed him to express his feelings through music.
Drawing a parallel with bilateral ties, Mr Lee added that South Korea and Japan had learned to respect each other’s differences and adjust to one another’s rhythm, deepening cooperation over time.
“I hope we can get closer step by step,” he wrote.
TWO-DAY SUMMIT
South Korea’s presidential office said earlier on Jan 9 that the two leaders would attend diplomatic events together over the two days, with Mr Lee also scheduled to meet South Korean residents in Japan.
The summit aims to reinforce efforts to develop South Korea-Japan relations in a future-oriented and stable direction, the office added.
The talks came a week after Mr Lee met President Xi Jinping from China, against the backdrop of strained ties between Tokyo and Beijing, following remarks by Ms Takaichi that Japan could deploy its forces if a Chinese attack on Taiwan posed an existential threat.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/sanae-takaichi-lee-jae-myung-drumming-japan-south-korea-5857431
