South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (L) takes a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping by using a Xiaomi smartphone following a state dinner for the South Korean leader in Beijing on Jan. 5, 2026. The smartphone was gifted to Lee by Xi during their first summit talks in Gyeongju, South Korea, in November 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Xiaomi Korea said on Wednesday that it is launching a promotional “Life Shot” photo campaign after President Lee Jae-myung drew public attention by posting a selfie taken with a Xiaomi smartphone alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The campaign was inspired by a photo President Lee shared on X during his state visit to China, showing him taking a selfie with President Xi and his spouse using a Xiaomi phone he had received as a gift. In the post, Lee wrote that the device helped him capture what he described as a memorable “life shot.”
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (L) and his wife, Kim Hea Kyung (2nd from L), take a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd from R) and his wife, Peng Liyuan, by using a Xiaomi smartphone following a state dinner for the South Korean leader in Beijing on Jan. 5, 2026. The smartphone was gifted to Lee by Xi during their first summit talks in Gyeongju, South Korea, in November 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
Under the campaign, users who upload photos taken with Xiaomi smartphones to Xiaomi Korea’s official Instagram account will be entered into a prize drawing. The company said participation is open to owners of any Xiaomi handset, regardless of model.
The phone used by President Lee was the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, a flagship model featuring a 32-megapixel front-facing camera jointly developed with Leica and an f/2.0 aperture designed to improve selfie image quality.
The image was taken during Lee’s meeting with Xi Jinping, and later shared by Lee Jae-myung on X, quickly circulating online and drawing attention to Xiaomi’s camera capabilities.
Xiaomi has been intensifying its focus on smartphone photography. Late last month, the company announced in Beijing that it would further strengthen joint research and development with Leica for its next flagship device, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, underscoring its push to compete at the high end of the global smartphone market.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
