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... Xi joked about spying on South Korea's president as he gifted him a pair of smartphones, telling him to "check if there is a backdoor" in a rare jest from the Chinese leader that made headlines in Seoul.

The lighthearted exchange took place on Saturday in the city of Gyeongju, when Xi and President Lee Jae-myung presented gifts to each other on the sidelines of an APEC summit, marking Xi's first visit to South Korea in more than a decade.

Xi presented two Xiaomi smartphones fitted with Korean-made displays to Lee, who quipped: "Is the communication line secure?", drawing laughter from Xi.

Pointing at the devices, Xi replied: "You should check if there is a backdoor," referring to pre-installed software that could allow third-party monitoring, prompting laughter and applause from Lee.

The brief banter sparked heavy media interest over the weekend, as Xi is rarely seen making jokes, let alone about espionage.

"Xi bursts into laughter after Lee jokes about security of Xiaomi Phones," reads a headline in the Seoul Shinmun daily on Monday. ...