Lee takes selfies with China's Xi after state dinner

President Lee Jae Myung, left, and his wife, Kim Hea Kyung, second from left, take a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping, second from right, and his wife, Peng Liyuan, by using a Xiaomi smartphone after a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday. The smartphone was gifted to Lee by Xi during their first summit talks in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in November 2025. Joint Press Corps

President Lee Jae Myung has posted selfies with Chinese President Xi Jinping, just after they held a state dinner following summit talks.

The selfies were taken Monday on a Xiaomi smartphone that Lee had received from Xi on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Korea late last year after the leaders held their first summit talks.

In a post on his X account, Lee said he took the selfies using the Xiaomi smartphone.

"Thanks to you, I got once-in-a-lifetime photos," Lee wrote on the post titled, "Isn't the image quality great?"

Another selfie showed Lee snapping the photo with first lady Kim Hea Kyung, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

Xi had presented Lee with two Xiaomi smartphones equipped with Korean-made displays. At the time, Lee jokingly asked whether the line was secure, prompting Xi to laugh and suggest he check if there was any "backdoor."

Lee said he hopes to stay in close touch with Xi to further advance bilateral relations based on personal trust.

"The closer we meet, the more Korea-China relations are being untangled. (We) will communicate more often and cooperate even more in the future," he wrote.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters that the two leaders built personal rapport through the recent summits, describing it as "an important achievement" of Lee's state visit.