US EditionSouth Korea's Lee snaps Xi selfie with Chinese 'backdoor' phone
Lee used a Xiaomi smartphone gifted by Xi to take selfies after a Beijing summit, with his post shared over 3,400 times, highlighting improved Seoul-Beijing relations.
- On Monday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung took a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping using a Xiaomi phone Xi had gifted him, then posted the group photo with first ladies on X during his Beijing visit.
- The state visit featured ceremonial honours and gift exchanges, including a traditional painting by Eom Jae-kwon during a summit at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing.
- Cheong Wa Dae said Lee activated a Xiaomi handset before travel and asked aides to bring it to China, while Xi urged him to `check if there is a backdoor` during a joking exchange about security.
- The post drew heavy online interest, being shared more than 3,400 times within hours, and as KOSPI climbed past 4,500 points Monday, Lee linked the summit to better Seoul–Beijing ties and business.
- Xi's banter was a rare public joke, while one user quipped, `Sir, Do you know Nicolas Maduro used the same phone?`, after the United States captured Maduro.
65 Articles
65 Articles
Lee snaps Xi selfie with Chinese 'backdoor' phone
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung snapped a selfie with Xi Jinping using a smartphone gifted to him by the Chinese leader, who had joked at their last meeting that the device might be capable of spying. Lee posted a selfie of himself, Xi and their wives on social media platform X on Monday during a visit to Beijing. "A selfie with President Xi Jinping and his wife, taken with the Xiaomi I received as a gift in Gyeongju," Lee wrote. "Thanks to…
South Korea’s Lee giddy after selfie ‘of a lifetime’ with Xi Jinping in China
by WorldTribune Staff, January 6, 2026 Real World News When you’re meeting with the head communist in charge, why not mark the occasion by snapping a selfie? That’s exactly what leftist South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung did in the presence of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. Lee was happy to […]
S. Korea's Lee takes selfie with Xi using smartphone gifted by China leader
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung took a selfie with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday night using a Xiaomi smartphone gifted by the Chinese leader last year and posted it on a social media account.
It is a sign of the relaxation of relations with China wanted by the new president of South Korea, and even the phone used is not random
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's official visit to China, the first in six years, aimed to revitalize relations and usher in a "new era." Meanwhile, netizens noted a historic moment as the two leaders happily took a selfie using a Chinese-branded smartphone.
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