South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is finding himself the center of attention in the region: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi this week invited him to join an impromptu drum jam session to K-pop songs.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday to ensure stable and friendly ties as her country faces growing tension with Beijing.

South Korea appears happy to engage in what some have called “shuttle diplomacy” between its quarreling neighbors—and stands to reap some benefits.

Russia’s continued assault on critical infrastructure has forced Ukraine’s Energy Ministry to introduce emergency power cuts to the regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia. Areas of Ukraine recorded temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius (or 5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.

Drawing a parallel with bilateral ties, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on X that South Korea and Japan had learned to respect each other's differences and adjust to one another's rhythm, deepening cooperation over time.

The leaders, who met in Japan, agreed to boost cooperation on economic security, regional and global issues and AI. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.