The unusual exchange took place on Saturday in the historic city of Gyeongju, South Korea, during the sidelines of the APEC summit, marking Xi’s first visit to the country in more than a decade.
According to local media reports, Xi presented President Lee with two Xiaomi smartphones, each fitted with Korean-made displays. As the two leaders exchanged pleasantries, Lee reportedly asked with a grin, “Is the communication line secure?” drawing laughter from Xi.
Pointing at the phones, Xi replied: “You should check if there is a backdoor,” referring to the possibility of pre-installed software that could allow external monitoring. The crowd burst into laughter and applause, a rare public moment of humor from the usually reserved Chinese leader.
The clip of the exchange quickly spread across YouTube and Korean social platforms, drawing thousands of comments.
“It feels like martial arts masters trading lines in a duel,” one user wrote.
Local headlines captured the unusual moment. “Xi bursts into laughter after Lee jokes about security of Xiaomi phones,” read a front-page story in the Seoul Shinmun daily on Monday.
Lee’s spokesperson, Kim Nam-joon, told AFP that the good-natured exchange reflected the leaders’ growing rapport over the two-day visit.
“From welcoming ceremonies and gift exchanges to a banquet and cultural performances, both leaders had multiple opportunities to engage and build personal chemistry,” Kim said. “If it weren’t for such chemistry, that kind of joke would not have been possible.”
When asked whether Lee plans to use the Xiaomi phones, Kim said it was “possible,” adding that the handsets were presented to both the President and his wife.
