South Korean President Lee Jae Myung snapped a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping using a smartphone gifted by Xi, posting the photos on social media during his visit to Beijing. The selfies, featuring both leaders and their wives, were shared more than 3,400 times in the first few hours, drawing heavy online attention.
Read More: Xi to host South Korea’s Lee amid Japan tensions
Lee revealed the phone was a Xiaomi device he received in Gyeongju last year, joking that it gave him “the shot of a lifetime.” Xi had previously teased Lee about the phone at an APEC summit, joking about potential “backdoors” in the device that could allow monitoring. The lighthearted exchange marked a rare display of humor from the Chinese leader.
🇰🇷 President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hea-kyung took a selfie with 🇨🇳 Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan — using the Xiaomi phone Lee previously received from Xi as a gift — at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan 5, 2026. pic.twitter.com/NTtojIpTnD
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) January 6, 2026
During their ninety-minute summit, Xi urged Lee to join Beijing in making “the right strategic choices” amid a world growing increasingly complex. Lee described the selfies as a step toward closer communication and collaboration between Seoul and Beijing.
The meeting comes amid heightened global attention following a US military operation in Caracas that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. China and North Korea condemned the raid, making Lee’s diplomatic visit particularly significant.
Lee, who took office in June following his predecessor’s impeachment, has sought to improve strained ties with China after years of diplomatic tension. His social media post, showcasing both leaders in a lighthearted moment, highlights a more personal and informal side of high-level diplomacy.
Read More: Lee pushes regional diplomacy in key G20 meetings
The Xiaomi selfie has also sparked playful online commentary, with users joking about the device’s history and its connection to other global leaders. The post underscores how social media continues to play a role in international relations and public diplomacy.