South Korean President Lee Jae Myung drew widespread attention after sharing selfies with Chinese President Xi Jinping, taken on a smartphone Xi had previously gifted him.
Lee posted three photos on X on Monday during his official visit to Beijing. The images featured Lee, Xi, and their wives and were taken with a Xiaomi handset. This was the same device that the Chinese leader had presented to him last year.
“A selfie with President Xi Jinping and his wife, taken with the Xiaomi I received as a gift in Gyeongju,” Lee wrote. “Thanks to them, I got the shot of a lifetime.” He added that he hoped to communicate more frequently and work more closely with China in the future.
The smartphone first made headlines in November, when Xi jokingly raised concerns about security during an earlier meeting. This took place on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. When Lee asked whether the device’s communication line was secure, Xi quipped that he should “check if there is a backdoor.” This was a rare moment of humour from the Chinese leader on the sensitive topic of surveillance.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife take a selfie with Chinese President Xi and his wife using a Xiaomi phone. pic.twitter.com/t05CK8nvc1
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 6, 2026During their 90-minute summit in Beijing, Xi urged Lee to cooperate with China. Xi highlighted that it was important to make what he described as the “right strategic choices.” This is especially crucial at a time when the global environment is becoming increasingly complex and unstable.
Lee’s visit followed a major international development involving the arrest of Nicolás Maduro after a US military operation in Caracas. This action was publicly criticised by Beijing and Pyongyang.
The selfie post quickly gained traction online, being shared more than 3,400 times within hours. Some users reacted humorously, with one commenting, “Sir, do you know Nicolás Maduro used the same phone?”
Lee, who assumed office in June after the impeachment and removal of his predecessor for declaring martial law, has made improving relations with China a key foreign policy priority. His outreach marks a shift after several years of strained diplomatic ties between Seoul and Beijing.
