On August 10, 2026, South Korean media Chosun Ilbo reported that an incident where Chinese tourists visiting South Korea coincidentally encountered President Lee Jae-myung at Gyeongbokgung Palace, a royal palace from the Joseon Dynasty in Seoul, and took a selfie (self-portrait photo) together has become a hot topic on Chinese social media.

According to the article, while four female Chinese tourists were visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace, they coincidentally encountered President Lee. President Lee himself held the smartphone handed to him by the tourists and took a selfie together. It is also reported that at that time, President Lee asked in English, "Are you from China?" Afterwards, Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President of South Korea, received the smartphone and took photos of the President and the tourists.

At that time, security personnel were also stationed around President Lee, and after the President finished taking photos with the tourists, he reportedly moved further into Gyeongbokgung Palace. This scene spread through Chinese social media, and major Chinese portal sites also successively picked up the story. Chinese netizens reportedly voiced comments such as "He looks very friendly" and "It's good that he's close to the citizens."

The article stated, "The fact that Chinese tourists coincidentally met the President at their travel destination and even took a commemorative photo seems to have attracted attention on social media."

Regarding this, South Korean netizens commented, "I think it's good to be friendly to foreign tourists. It will also improve Korea's image," "He handled it politely, which is likable," "I think a person's character shows in such small details," and "Approachability is also important for a president."

On the other hand, comments such as "He's not even a celebrity, so why a selfie together?", "These days, you never know how photos might be used. He should act more cautiously," "Approaching tourists so casually, is the security aspect really okay?", "Performance for popularity," "I wish he'd be discussed more for his policies than for things like this," and "Instead of putting on a good face for tourists, he should be more earnestly dedicated to his presidential duties" were also seen.

"중국서 난리났다"…이재명 대통령, 경복궁서 中관광객과 '찰칵' 화제

이재명 대통령이 지난 6일 서울 경복궁을 방문하던 중 우연히 만난 중국인 관광객들과 직접 셀카를 찍은 사진이 중국 현지 SNS 및 매체를 통해 퍼지며 화제를 모으고 있습니다.

중국 관영 신화통신 계열의 '뉴탄친'에 따르면,… pic.twitter.com/K3qRLraXjw

— 근공 (@Crystaltech1004) August 11, 2026