South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shared a lighthearted moment with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday (Jan 5), posting selfies on social media that captured the leaders and their spouses smiling together during Lee’s official visit to China.
The selfies were taken with a Xiaomi smartphone gifted to Lee by Xi, a device that had previously been the subject of humorous speculation. Xi had joked at a meeting in November during the APEC summit in South Korea that the handset might be capable of spying.
“A selfie with President Xi Jinping and his wife, taken with the Xiaomi I received as a gift in Gyeongju,” Lee wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He added, “Thanks to them, I got the shot of a lifetime. I will communicate more frequently and collaborate more closely going forward.”
In the photos, all four first families can be seen smiling broadly, projecting a rare moment of levity in high-level diplomacy. Lee’s office also shared a brief YouTube video capturing the scene, in which Xi complimented the South Korean leader’s photography skills.
The Xiaomi device first became a topic of public amusement in November when Xi made a rare joke about espionage. When Lee inquired if the device’s communication line was secure, Xi suggested he “check if there is a backdoor,” referencing pre-installed software that could potentially allow third-party monitoring. Lee later remarked that Xi was “unexpectedly quite good at making jokes,” highlighting the informal tone of their exchange.
Beyond the light-hearted selfie, the leaders’ ninety-minute summit addressed serious geopolitical issues. Xi reportedly urged Lee to align with Beijing in making “the right strategic choices” in a world he described as “becoming more complex and turbulent.” Analysts view Lee’s visit as an attempt to recalibrate Seoul’s ties with Beijing following years of diplomatic tension.
Lee’s trip comes against a backdrop of heightened international tensions. Just days prior, a U.S. military operation in Caracas captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was flown to New York to face narco-trafficking charges—a raid strongly condemned by both Beijing and Pyongyang. While the selfie moment was playful, it occurred amid broader discussions on regional stability, economic cooperation, and security coordination.
The social media response to Lee’s post was immediate and intense. Within hours, the selfies were shared more than 3,400 times. One user joked, “Sir, do you know Nicolas Maduro used the same phone?” reflecting the interplay of humor and geopolitics that surrounded the device.
Lee, who assumed office in June following the impeachment and removal of his predecessor over a controversial martial law declaration, has emphasized restoring and strengthening diplomatic engagement with China. Analysts note that such gestures, while symbolic, help ease years of diplomatic freeze and foster personal rapport between the leaders—a critical element in East Asian diplomacy.
Observers say the selfies, though informal, may also carry subtle strategic messaging. By posting the images publicly, Lee signals South Korea’s willingness to engage with Beijing constructively, even as Seoul maintains its security alliance with Washington.
In all, the Xiaomi phone became more than a gift; it symbolized a moment of human connection between two regional powers, combining diplomacy, humor, and social media savvy in one frame. For Lee, the “selfie of a lifetime” may also mark a small but meaningful step toward thawing relations between Seoul and Beijing in an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.
