Korean online commerce giant 11st Street said Monday it has clinched an agreement with an affiliate of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi Inc. to speed up sales of its smartphone gadgets in the country, reflecting the rising popularity of China-made electronics here.

Under the memorandum of understanding with ZMI Communication Technology, the online shopping mall will distribute smartphone-related products including battery packs and light-emitting diode devices, and roll out joint marketing projects.

ZMI Communication Technology produces accessories for smartphones and other electronics goods.

The Korean commerce giant already released a handful of ZMI products in the country in April last year when it sold 3,000 battery packs. In December, 11st Street also sold 10,000 units of ZMI gadgets in three days.

While Xiaomi also clinched a deal with 11st Street in November last year, the Chinese tech giant has not yet started official sales of its smartphones in Korea through local mobile carriers.

Chinese smartphones, including those made by Xiaomi, however, have been gaining popularity in the Korean market on the back of an increase in consumers seeking budget options.

Korea's No. 3 mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. said last week its sales of the Huawei Y6 smartphone reached 20,000 units.

The sales came around a month after the mobile carrier released the smartphone with a price tag of 154,000 won. (Yonhap)