Government Gifts 200 Boxes of Hwangnam Bread to Xi Jinping's Delegation
"Significance of Hwangnam Bread Is No Less Than That of the Silla Crown," Says Cho
Cho Kuk, interim leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, praised President Lee Jae-myung's decision to present Hwangnam bread, a specialty of Gyeongju, to Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling it "an excellent choice." On the 2nd, through his social media account, Cho stated, "During the APEC summit, President Lee's gift of the golden Silla crown (National Treasure No. 188, presumed to be King Jijeung's crown) to U.S. President Donald Trump attracted much attention, while the gift of Hwangnam bread to President Xi seems to have received less notice." He argued, "The significance of gifting Hwangnam bread is no less than that of the Silla crown."
Chinese President Xi Jinping, after attending the APEC summit in South Korea, ate Hwangnam bread gifted by President Lee Jae-myung and personally expressed his gratitude, saying it was delicious. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Previously, the government sent 200 boxes of Hwangnam bread to President Xi and his delegation, inviting them to 'have a taste.' In response, President Xi expressed his gratitude to President Lee, saying, "It was delicious." Regarding this, Cho explained, "Hwangnam bread originated in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju, and the old name for Hwangnam-dong was Hwangchon, both of which contain the character 'Hwang' (meaning 'emperor')." He added, "The character 'Hwang' carries far more authority and dignity than 'Wang' (meaning 'king'). In my personal opinion, perhaps President Xi or the Chinese delegation was expected to notice this character, which may have influenced the choice." He further remarked, "Of course, it likely also aimed to promote the purchase of Hwangnam bread by Chinese tourists visiting Gyeongju," calling it "a clever choice."
Meanwhile, during the Korea-China summit on the 1st, President Lee presented President Xi with a 'baduk board' made from the finest Torreya tree and a 'mother-of-pearl lacquered round tray.' President Xi, in return, gifted President Lee two Xiaomi smartphones and a jade brush and inkstone. When President Xi presented the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, President Lee examined the device and asked, "Is it secure for communications?"-a question that drew attention. In response, President Xi replied, "Check if there is a backdoor."
President Lee Jae-myung is welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping, who attended the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit held at the Gyeongju HICO Convention Center on the 31st of last month. Photo by Yonhap News
Such exchanges between the two leaders appear to reflect ongoing concerns regarding 'backdoor' vulnerabilities in Chinese-made digital devices, including smartphones, which have been suspected of enabling data theft and remote control cyberattacks. Despite the global controversy over backdoors in Chinese products, President Lee and President Xi drew interest by discussing the issue in a somewhat lighthearted, joking manner.
It is also reported that the Chinese side chose the older Xiaomi 15 Ultra as a gift, rather than the latest Xiaomi 17 series, because the device is equipped with an OLED display manufactured by LG Display. After the Korea-China summit, a Chinese official highlighted this fact when unveiling the gifts, emphasizing that the display in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra was made by Korea's LG, thereby showcasing cooperation between Korean and Chinese companies.
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