News Japan-South Korean relations

Here are a few updates on the thaw in the relations between South Korea and Japan:


The first of three surviving South Korean plaintiffs in a wartime labour lawsuit against Japanese companies has accepted compensation from a South Korean government-affiliated foundation.


The wartime labor compensation issue has long been a thorn in Japan-South Korea relations. Thursday's announcement is based on a plan laid out in March for the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan to pay plaintiffs the compensation they were awarded in the court case. A successful payment could help soften criticism in South Korea against the compensation plan. Of the 15 plaintiffs who won the suit, the bereaved families of 10 had already accepted compensation proposed by the government as of April. The families of two others and the three surviving former laborers had refused the money, demanding an apology and compensation from the Japanese side. The remaining four plaintiffs, including two survivors, have continued to refuse compensation under the new plan. The government plans to continue to try to convince the remaining holdouts to accept compensation.
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1st South Korean survivor of wartime labor accepts fund payment

Four plaintiffs still refuse compensation from government-affiliated foundation
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On Sunday, the defence ministers of Japan and South Korea agreed to accelerate talks on ways to prevent radar lock-on incidents between their forces, with an alleged case in 2018 that had undermined confidence between the countries' defence authorities.

mainichi.jp

Japan, S. Korea to further discuss preventing radar lock-on incidents - The Mainichi

SINGAPORE (Kyodo) -- The defense ministers of Japan and South Korea on Sunday agreed to accelerate talks on ways to prevent radar lock-on incidents be
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp




Reuters reports that young South Koreans drive a shift in attitudes towards Japan that involves anime, beer, whisky, and more.

A January poll by Hankook Research showed Japan's likeability score among Koreans was the highest since 2018, with those aged 29 or younger the most favourable. China, which had scored nearly twice the levels of Japan in 2019, rated among the lowest, alongside Russia and North Korea. A March survey by the same pollster showed 40% of Koreans backed Yoon's compensation plan, with 53% opposed. But more than 51% of respondents aged 29 or less backed it, while 36% viewed it negatively. Political dynamics are spurring the young to take a less antagonistic view of Japan, said James Kim, a regional specialist at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "China is clearly less preferred than countries like the United States and Japan," Kim said, citing Beijing's curbs on freedom in Hong Kong and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if younger people are not completely satisfied by South Korea's efforts to resolve thorny historical issues, Kim added, "They see a more immediate threat and recognise the benefit of aligning with other like-minded democracies in the region."
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www.reuters.com

Young South Koreans drive shift in attitudes to Japan as ties thaw

Jeong Se-ah feels happy to see Tanaka, a Japanese bar host character from the early 2000s created by a South Korean comedian, because he revives her teenage memories of watching animations from the neighbouring nation.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
On Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called Japan a "partner" that shares his country's values and common interests as he aims to strengthen ties with Tokyo in response to North Korea's growing nuclear threats.


Watch AFP's Youtube video here (they do not allow embedding).


Yoon has pulled South Korea closer to long-standing ally Washington while seeking to bury the hatchet with former colonial power Japan. Seoul and Tokyo, key U.S. security allies, have long been at odds over historical issues tied to Japan's brutal 1910-1945 colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula, such as sexual slavery and forced labour. But speaking at an event marking the anniversary of liberation from Japan's rule, Yoon said the two "are now partners who share universal values and pursue common interests". He reiterated that Tokyo, Seoul and Washington must "share North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles data in real-time".
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Normalisation is going slow: after more than a decade, a majority of the Japanese people view South Korea positively.


According to an annual joint poll by Japanese nonprofit think tank Genron NPO and the Seoul-based East Asia Institute, a record-high 37.4% of 1,000 Japanese respondents said their view on South Korea is "good," up from 30.4% a year earlier. Those who answered "bad" accounted for 32.8%, down from 40.3%. Since the survey began in 2013, most respondents had a negative view of South Korea until last year.
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The proportion of Japanese with a negative view of South Korea has been larger since 2013. However, the survey also shows that only 28.9 per cent of 1,008 South Koreans surveyed have a positive view of Japan, a slight decrease from the previous year. 53.5 per cent have a negative attitude towards Japan.


www.japantimes.co.jp

Poll shows more in Japan positive on South Korea than negative

A record-high 37.4% of 1,000 Japanese respondents said their view on South Korea is 'good,' up from 30.4% a year earlier.
www.japantimes.co.jp www.japantimes.co.jp
 
A grand humanitarian gesture. South Korea's air force seems better equipped to respond quickly to such emergencies.

Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Oct. 15 expressed gratitude to her South Korean counterpart for Seoul's assistance in evacuating 51 Japanese nationals from Israel as an additional eight arrived in Dubai on a government-chartered flight. "We agreed that the two countries will continue to help each other and cooperate in efforts to bring the situation back under control at an early date and get their citizens out of Israel," Kamikawa told reporters after talking with Park Jin over the phone.
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Nikkei Asia examined why South Korea's general elections on 10 April did not provoke the usual Japan-bashing.

The main opposition Democratic Party called the vote the "new Korea-Japan war" at one point during the election campaign. The Democrats sought to rally voters against conservative legislators considered too friendly with Japan. They also called for protests against the Yoon administration's endorsement of Japanese plans to release treated water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.
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Voters, however, did not respond to those attacks, and Japan did not become an election issue. Public protests over the release of the treated Fukushima wastewater have been small.

Why?
  • Japan's historical approach to making concessions to South Korea has shifted. Recent Japanese Prime Ministers, including Shinzo Abe and his successors, have adopted a more steadfast stance, refusing to yield to Seoul's demands, regardless of their intensity.
  • South Korea's confidence as an advanced economy has grown, and it now hosts numerous multinational corporations. Consequently, Japan is perceived as just one of many countries. Despite lingering anti-Japanese sentiment due to historical colonial rule, recent elections have not prominently focused on these tensions, reflecting a societal shift where Japan's influence at the ballot box has diminished.
  • Foreign policy is a critical factor in South Korean opinion polls supporting Yoon. As one of the current administration's positive aspects, it is expected to remain a priority for Yoon until his term concludes in 2027. Improving relations with Japan may play a role in this endeavour.
  • Younger, social media-savvy voters exhibit less party loyalty and vote based on specific issues or candidates. They tend to have a global and pragmatic outlook, emphasizing human rights and gender issues. The growing negative sentiment toward China reflects their opposition to authoritarianism. These trends may offer insights into Japan's relations with South Korea.
  • According to a South Korean government source, Japan and South Korea align their votes on United Nations resolutions approximately 98% of the time. Despite their bilateral issues, both nations share common values related to democracy, free markets, and strategic interests in the global economy.

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asia.nikkei.com

Why South Korea's election isn't leading to Japan bashing this time

Yoon has reason to keep up diplomatic momentum, and views on Tokyo have moderated
asia.nikkei.com asia.nikkei.com
 
I was reading somewhere, I guess it was Twitter, where some cynical commenters where saying any warming of relations was surely only temporary, because Korea would revert to an anti-Japan posture as elections ramped up. I'm very glad to see those commenters were wrong, and that it definitely looks like a there is a generation of Koreans who aren't interested in carrying the historical baggage that their parents and grandparents carried.
 
More sign of normalisation: South Korean tourists are flocking to Japan in record numbers, driven by a weak Japanese currency and improved bilateral ties, making the country an attractive destination once again. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 3.73 million South Korean tourists visited Japan in the first five months, a 1.4-fold increase from the previous year. In May alone, 730,000 South Koreans arrived, setting a monthly record. Despite past diplomatic tensions and a significant drop in South Korean tourists due to the 2019 "No Japan" movement, Japan remains a top destination for South Korean travellers.


The January-May passenger volume jumped 46% from a year earlier to an all-time high for the period. The two-way traffic was twice as large as the 5.08 million trips made between South Korea and China. Hyundai Card, South Korea's leading credit card company by settlement value, entered into collaborations with Japanese partners, including e-commerce company Rakuten Group, and electronics chain Bic Camera. Around 500,000 Hyundai Card holders visited Japan last year, seven times the 2021 total, according to the company's analysis of customer travel trends based on payment data. About one in five went more than once. Hyundai Card chose services and facilities in Japan that are popular among South Korean travelers to offer discounts and delivery services to cardholders.
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asia.nikkei.com

South Koreans head to Japan in record numbers, drawn by weak yen

Rakuten, Bic Camera partner with Hyundai Card for discounts and services
asia.nikkei.com asia.nikkei.com
 
The Economist examined the Japanese-South Korean relationship and found that younger generations are less concerned with their country's shared history.


Diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan have improved markedly over the past few years. That is in large part thanks to Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's president, who came to office in 2022 determined to repair ties with Japan following a period of bitter disputes over compensation for atrocities committed during the colonial era. Kishida Fumio, Japan's departing prime minister, will visit Seoul this week for a final summit with Mr Yoon. But officials in both countries also credit generational change for helping to transform the relationship.Today's youth are on far better terms with their neighbours than their parents or grandparents were. While just over 20% of South Koreans over 50 years old have a positive impression of Japan, over 45% of 18- to 29-year-olds do, according to Genron NPO, a Japanese think-tank, and the East Asia Institute, a South Korean one, which conduct annual studies of public opinion. Among Japanese, over 45% of 18- to 29-year-olds see South Korea positively, compared with 35% of those over 50.
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Japanese-South Korean relationship


www.economist.com

Could Japan and South Korea finally become friends?

Younger generations are less concerned with their countries shared history
www.economist.com www.economist.com
 
According to Nikkei Asia, South Korea welcomed the 'anti-Abe' Ishiba, who had gained popularity for opposing the late PM Shinzo Abe.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his administration likely felt relieved by Shigeru Ishiba's election as leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the country's new prime minister on September 27. While both the U.S. and China have concerns about Ishiba's security policies, he is seen positively in South Korea for standing up to former PM Abe, whom many South Koreans view as a far-right historical revisionist.

South Korean media, both conservative and liberal, have praised Ishiba. Conservative daily Chosun Ilbo highlighted his candid advice to Abe, while liberal paper Hankyoreh noted Ishiba's criticism of Abe, who once held significant power. Abe's legacy casts a shadow over South Korean-Japanese relations, with his political influence rooted in his controversial grandfather. Unlike Abe, Ishiba is viewed as a more cautious "dove," mainly due to his reluctance to visit the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japan's war dead, including war criminals.


Indeed, Ishiba has made numerous statements expressing his deep feelings toward the Korean Peninsula. "Without recognizing how deeply the 'annexation' -- which stripped the country of its culture, language, public systems and even its military -- has wounded the national pride and identity of its people, true trust between Japan and South Korea cannot be established," Ishiba wrote in his recent book "Conservative Politician: My Policies, My Destiny," referring to Japan's annexation of the Korean Peninsula in 1910. "With Ishiba at the helm, many historical issues -- responsible for 80% of our conflicts with Japan -- will be resolved," said a South Korean official. "Ishiba is totally different from Abe." There is little doubt that Japan-South Korea relations will continue to improve under Ishiba's leadership. However, excessive expectations from South Korea could backfire. I have witnessed numerous instances where South Korean disillusionment with Japan turned to anger when no tangible progress was made under a new Japanese leader.
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South Korea welcomes 'anti-Abe' Ishiba as Japan's new leader

But high expectations could lead to bitter disappointment
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Japan through Korean eyes: Stars & Stripes published a heartwarming piece by Hyemin Lee, a reporter of Korean ancestry, on her first assignment to Japan.

I must admit that I have mixed emotions about Japan. Since childhood, I've been deeply interested in history, particularly Korea's modern history intertwined with my daily life. Museums and historical movies related to the Korean War and independence movements during Japanese occupation have always fascinated me. My grandmother often recounted how Japanese soldiers took away everything made of metal, from cooking pots to spoons and chopsticks. My grandmother was very petite, the sweetest and most quiet person. It was some of the rare moments of seeing her being visibly upset when recalling these memories.
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Does this mean I dislike Japan? Not at all. In fact, Korea and Japan are so culturally intertwined and geographically close that separating them is almost impossible. Like many Koreans, I enjoyed watching Japanese anime and reading manga as a teenager. In high school, most Korean students choose to learn Chinese or Japanese as their second language. I chose Japanese. The similarities between Korean and Japanese made it easy to learn, and I enjoyed its soft, charming pronunciation.
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While Ms Lee initially held negative views about Japan, these perceptions were drastically altered after her visit. Tokyo's sophistication, cleanliness, safety, organization, and friendliness greatly impressed the author, contrasting starkly with their experiences in other regions. The author also noted the striking similarities between Japan and Korea, particularly regarding urban landscapes, tourist demographics, and cultural influences.

And:

Several years ago, there was a "No Japan" movement in Korea, reflecting enduring historical sentiments. Nonetheless, the truth is Koreans are the most passionate tourists in Japan. Statistically, more Koreans visit Japan than any other nationality. Whether we want it or not, the cultural influence between our countries persists from the past to the present. As a Korean, visiting certain historical places in Japan can still evoke painful feelings. However, I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to vividly experience the beauty of this wonderful country. My visit to Japan has given me the chance to more openly embrace and to truly appreciate their culture and country.
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Read the whole story here:

japan.stripes.com

Through Korean eyes: My first visit to Japan

My first trip to Japan was during a work assignment at Stars and Stripes, which led me to the Pacific Headquarters in Tokyo.
japan.stripes.com japan.stripes.com
 
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's sudden declaration of martial law on Tuesday has disrupted the positive momentum in Japan-South Korea relations, which had been fostered with U.S. support. While the state of emergency was lifted shortly after, the incident has forced Japanese officials to reassess their engagement with South Korea. PM Ishiba expressed the need to closely monitor the situation and make informed decisions, raising concerns about the future of the planned summit between the two leaders in January.


The situation on the Korean Peninsula has been marked by unexpected developments, including North Korea's recent deployment of troops to Russia. The latest emergency declaration further adds to the unpredictability of the region. A senior Japanese diplomat admitted not having anticipated such a controversial and sudden move from Seoul. A planned visit to South Korea by Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is also now in doubt. "I am deeply shocked by this news," said Nakatani. The upcoming change in U.S. leadership is also clouding the outlook for Japan-South Korea relations, as President Joe Biden played a key role in improving strained ties between the two Asian neighbors. Last year, Biden hosted Yoon and then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida near Washington in the first trilateral summit outside of a multilateral setting.
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Yoon's desperate stunt shows South Korea not ready for prime time

Declaration of martial law reminds investors of the 'Korea discount'
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The NYT sees even broader implications:

www.nytimes.com

South Korea’s Martial Law Turmoil Threatens Pacific Alliance With U.S. and Japan

Donald J. Trump had been seen as the main risk factor for the partnership between Tokyo, Seoul and Washington. Then came martial law in South Korea.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
According to a recent Kyodo poll, over 70% of the Japanese worry that South Korea's turmoil will affect ties with Japan.

This is probably a legitimate concern. Japan has always fared better with conservative South Korean governments.

...over 70 per cent of respondents voiced concerns that recent political unrest in South Korea, sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, could affect relations with Japan. The weekend telephone survey also revealed a 3.5 percentage point drop in support for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet since the previous mid-November poll, bringing the approval rating down to 36.5 per cent. This decline comes amid doubts about his minority government's ability to pass legislation and secure the budget. Meanwhile, the disapproval rating rose by 4.3 points, reaching 43.1 per cent.
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mainichi.jp

Over 70% worried S. Korea turmoil to affect ties with Japan: poll - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- More than 70 percent of respondents expressed concerns that recent political turmoil in South Korea, triggered by President Yoon Suk
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp
 
PM Ishiba and newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung had their first phone call yesterday, during which they agreed on the need to enhance bilateral relations between their respective countries.

According to a statement issued by the Japanese government, both leaders expressed their "hopes for an early opportunity for a face-to-face meeting." This marked the first conversation between Lee, who assumed office on 4 June, and Ishiba. The call, which began at noon and lasted approximately 25 minutes, saw the two leaders affirm the importance of Japan–South Korea ties and the significance of trilateral cooperation with the United States. They also agreed that Japan–South Korea relations should be developed stably and constructively.
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In the past, Lee has sharply criticised the previous conservative administration of Yoon Suk-yeol over its "conciliatory" approach toward Japan. In 2023, Lee went on a fast to oppose Japan's release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean. Japanese government officials have expressed both optimism and caution over the future of bilateral relations under South Korea's first progressive president in about three years.

 
A recent survey has shown that public sentiment and perceptions regarding current Japan–South Korea relations have become more favourable in both countries compared to findings from a similar poll conducted ten years earlier. The joint opinion survey, conducted by The Asahi Shimbun and South Korea's Dong-A Ilbo, was carried out in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15855457

Provided by Asahi


In Japan, the percentage of respondents who expressed a liking for South Korea increased from 10% in 2015 to 19% in the latest poll. Likewise, those who felt that the relationship between the two countries was "going well" increased from 7% to 29%. Despite these improvements, expectations for the future of bilateral relations remained largely the same as they were a decade ago, with only 17% of Japanese respondents believing that ties will progress in a more "positive direction."

 
More news on the political and economic relationship between Japan and South Korea:

Despite his fiercely critical stance during his first tenure, newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has surprised policymakers and analysts with his unexpectedly conciliatory stance toward Japan. The underlying theme of Lee's approach so far has been clear: "Japan first" -- signalling a prioritisation of Japan over the U.S. This choice is driven not merely by the difficulty of arranging a summit with Trump, but by a deliberate recalibration of Seoul's foreign policy priorities.

Ishiba is held in high regard in South Korea for his forthright political style, demonstrated by his willingness to speak candidly even to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a conservative leader long seen as an unassailable figure in Japanese politics. He has also earned praise for his sustained interest in historical issues that have often strained bilateral relations. Seoul now appears intent on extending diplomatic support to the embattled Ishiba. However, Seoul's interest in Ishiba's continued leadership stems not only from his personal appeal but also from growing apprehension about the rise of right-wing forces in Japan.
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President Lee is set to travel to Japan on the 23rd and 24th of August, ahead of a summit with Trump in Washington on the 25th.

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South Korea shifts toward 'Japan first' diplomacy

Move driven by the rise of Japan's right-wing Sanseito and Trump's high tariffs
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Meanwhile, several Japanese retailers (Don Quijote, Muji) opened new outlets in South Korea. However, many Japanese companies fear the country's lingering anti-Japan sentiment, which has been declining, but to which generations over 40 are already accustomed. If another Japanese product boycott occurred, they would subconsciously agree with it or stand back and watch.

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Old tensions inhibit Japanese grocers wanting to enter South Korea

Despite growing popularity of food from Japan, concerns about boycotts and targeting persist
asia.nikkei.com asia.nikkei.com
 
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung indicated that he would adhere to the existing agreements with Japan connected to its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, including the one concerning Korean women who had been forced to work in military brothels. Lee acknowledged that the legacy of Japanese colonisation from 1910 to 1945 remained a politically sensitive matter for both nations, with many of the surviving so-called "comfort women" still demanding a formal apology and compensation from Tokyo.

Although Lee's own Democratic Party had opposed the deal, he was quoted in an interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, published shortly before his planned summit in Tokyo with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, as saying that the agreement was a difficult one for South Koreans to accept. Nevertheless, he maintained that since it had been entered into as a national commitment, it would be undesirable for his administration to overturn it.

The pact, reached in 2015 under South Korea's then-conservative government, had included an apology from Japan and the provision of 1 billion yen (about $6.8 million) for a fund to support the victims. At the time, both governments had agreed that the issue would be "irreversibly resolved" if each side carried out its responsibilities. Despite such arrangements, disputes over wartime forced labour and the treatment of comfort women have continued to cast a shadow over relations between Japan and its neighbours, especially South Korea and China.

www.reuters.com

South Korea's Lee intends to retain 'comfort women' pact with Japan, paper says

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said he intended to stick to existing agreements with Japan tied to its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, including one on the treatment of Korean women forced to work in its military brothels.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
I lived and worked in korea three different times--19 months in the army spanning parts of '71 to '73, two years in the peace corps kind of calendar '74 and '75, and then a year teaching in calendar '84.

Anti-japan-ism (and the 'comfort women' issue) hadn't really taken off or been developed, even by the final time I lived there. Koreans who lived near US bases and could get AFKN radio and TV (low power, so very local) felt lucky. And those around Pusan were luckier still, since they could get broadcasts from japan--in all these cases meaning uncensored.

The first two times Pak Chung-Hee was 'president', and it showed. Things were pretty repressive. I was in health (TB control) but there were uni-level TESOL teachers in peace corps who, even tho they went thru the motions of setting up and living/teaching there, literally never taught a class over their two years stints as PCVs, since the universities were closed to prevent protests (they just traveled around korea and visited other volunteers--such luck!). Kathy Stephens got there as a PCV about a year after I did, and later became US ambassador. (Gee, I guess fate passed me over?)

My next stay there in '84, Chun Doo-Hwan was firmly in power, and the Kwangju/Gwangju 'uprising' was already history, and most eyes looked towards the '88 olympics (korea being envious of japan's '64 hosting, and the '88 hosting being seen as the metric for having "made it" into equality or being on par with japan and other developed/hosting nations.

And the history of this dates back to the 1965 "agreement"--and huge payment by japan to korea, which was conveniently redirected to 'national development' instead of being used as reparations.

en.wikipedia.org

Treaty on Basic Relations Between Japan and the Republic of Korea - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

The compensation then, direct aid and loans over ten years, was US$500 million. And if I am googling correctly, that amount is the equivalent of over $5 billion in today's dollars. A major part of it went to Pohang Iron and Steel--and while koreans think they did it themselves, Pohang would never have happened without this money. Maybe Pohang Iron and Steel should spend a little thank-you money on the comfort women whose misplaced compensation created it?

The comfort women issue, which didn't gain its own life until the '90s, is similar to trump's demonization of immigrants--pure politics. And koreans don't then also demonize americans, to whom they pandered in almost the same way for a couple of decades after the japanese were gone. Korea when under japanese 'rule' was the same as the vichy government during WWII in france--huge amounts of collaboration with the occupiers, and then denial of that after the fact.

blah, blah, blah...
 
Reminds me a bit of Japan's ODA to China:

Japan began providing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to China in 1979 and continued until 2008, when the government officially ended aid to China. This means Japan's ODA to China lasted for about 29 years. The aid was initially aimed at supporting China's economic modernization and infrastructure development, but as China's economy grew and it became a major global economic power, Japan phased out concessional loans and grants.
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Anyhow, I am very pleased to see that Pres. Lee is serious about reconciliation with Japan:

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday during his first visit to Japan since taking office




www.reuters.com

Japan's Ishiba, South Korea's Lee agree closer cooperation before Lee meets Trump

The South Korean president is expected to meet Trump on Monday.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com

japannews.yomiuri.co.jp

Ishiba, Lee Look to Further Ties in ‘Future-Oriented’ Manner

<p>South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday during his first visit to Japan since taking office, and the two leaders agreed to advance bilateral relations in a future-oriented manner.</p> <p>Lee’s decision to visit Japan before visiting the United...
japannews.yomiuri.co.jp japannews.yomiuri.co.jp
 
These two really hit it off.

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung and Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi join a joint drum performance

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung and Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi join a joint drum performance, playing to Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters and BTS's Dynamite.


Good to see South Korea and Japan in tune with each other! :)

www.theguardian.com

Cymbal of unity? South Korea and Japan leaders bash out K-pop hits after summit talks

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung had his work cut out, picking up his drumsticks alongside Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi, a former heavy metal drummer
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

 
thomas said:
Yes, I have to agree. It's all about the gesture.

Click to expand...

I was in a talent show in high school. We were an air band and pretended to play against a real track (by Jane's Addiction). An actual high school band had their drum set on the stage and they let me sit at their kit and pretend to play.
 

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