The "Xiaomi Phone Selfie" in the Spotlight, Lee: "Promoting Chinese Products? ... A Product of Korea-China Cooperation"

Explanation of the Selfie Background at the Shanghai Press Conference
Stone Lion Statue Donation Symbolizes "Restoring to Its Rightful Place" ... Suggests Borrowing "Fubao"
"China Shows Interest in Korea's Five-Year Single-Term Presidency"

President Lee Jaemyung emphasized that the "Xiaomi phone selfie" taken with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his state visit to China is a product of Korea-China cooperation, countering claims that he was "promoting Chinese products" or "pro-China" as unfounded remarks made by a few.

Yonhap News Agency

During a surprise 65-minute live press conference at the Shanghai Press Center on January 7 (Korean time), President Lee stated, "When President Xi gave me the phone as a gift, he said, 'The display is made in Korea.' He explained that it was a product of cooperation between China and Korea." He added, "It seems the latest model does not use a Korean-made display, so he couldn't give that one and instead gave me an older model that contains a Korean display."

Regarding the circumstances of the selfie, President Lee explained, "I heard the camera was good, so I thought it would be nice if the two leaders took a selfie together." He continued, "I activated the phone on purpose and brought it with me. When the opportunity arose, we took the photo. Someone happened to capture the moment I was taking the selfie, and the result turned out well."

He also mentioned the preparations for exchanging gifts during the state visit. President Lee said, "They prepared a lot, but we prepared too little, so I felt sorry," adding, "Compared to what they gave us, our gifts were too modest."

President Lee also provided detailed background on the return of the "Stone Lion Statue," which became a topic of discussion during the visit. He said, "The Kansong Art Museum had long tried to return it to China, but the process did not proceed smoothly. After I heard about this, I pushed for its return, and it was expedited." He added that China dispatched experts to verify its authenticity, and after examination, "It was confirmed to be genuine."

Regarding the significance of returning the Stone Lion Statue, President Lee highlighted the symbolism of "everything in its rightful place." He explained, "While Northeast Asia's historical issues are complicated, I wanted to show that we should help things find their proper place." In response to a question about a "reciprocal gift" from China, President Lee jokingly said, "No matter how much I thought about it, there was nothing China could give us. So I said, 'At least give us Fubao, or at least lend us Fubao.'" He added, "This is because there isn't much that China has taken from us."

President Lee also noted that the Stone Lion Statue was a privately owned item and revealed that he had instructed a review of compensation for the Kansong Art Museum. He said, "The state received it and donated it to China free of charge," adding, "I heard the Kansong Art Museum is facing financial difficulties, and I have ordered a review of whether it is appropriate for the state to acquire something from the private sector for free and use it for diplomacy." He further explained, "We need to consider whether it is legally possible and what would be an appropriate level of compensation."

Meanwhile, President Lee shared that China's interest in the sustainability of Korea-China cooperation included questions about Korea's five-year single-term presidency. He said, "China also showed interest in the five-year single-term system and asked whether continuity could be ensured." He added, "With the recent volatility in foreign policy, neighboring countries may feel anxious and wonder, 'How can we trust things now?' There are ways to institutionalize policies to make them harder to reverse, such as through legislation, treaties, or documented agreements, which can reduce the possibility of changes." He concluded, "Politics and power are like a ship floating on the 'sea of the people,' so the main direction will not change significantly."