Seoul mates? South Korea and Japan get chummy

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (L) and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shake hands after a press event following their talks in Andong, South Korea, on May 19, 2026. Credit: Kyodo via Reuters Connect

It was the jam session that rocked Asia. In January, a video of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung drumming to K-Pop hits went viral, heralding a new diplomatic era between their countries. Now it seems the band is back together and taking it on the road. This week, the two leaders are meeting again in Lee’s hometown of Andong. The two-day summit is focusing on security, energy, and critical minerals, with another meeting slated to take place in Takaichi’s birthplace later this year.

On Tuesday, Lee stated that the two countries “agreed to strengthen cooperation in the sectors of liquefied natural gas and crude oil.” South Korea will also join “PowerASIA”, a $10 billion Japanese initiative to increase cooperation between Southeast Asian countries in the building and common use of petroleum storage facilities for oil reserves. Read more