A report confirmed on Thursday that North Korean athletes have also received Samsung’s newest smartphones, which are being given to all athletes competing at the Paris Olympics.
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that the NOC [National Olympic Committee] of DPRK [North Korea] received Samsung phones to distribute to its athletes.
Samsung Electronics is a major official sponsor of the IOC. The South Korean technology giant has been giving its specially made newest Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphones and cases to over 17,000 Olympic athletes.
Athletes from various countries can visit the Samsung Olympic Experience Center in the Olympic Village to pick up their Samsung smartphones. However, an NOC of DPRK official appears to have taken all the smartphones intended for the athletes.
However, it has not been confirmed whether the Samsung smartphones were actually distributed to the North Korean athletes.
Concerns have emerged about whether supplying Samsung smartphones might breach sanctions against North Korea. According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, enacted in 2017, the Security Council forbids the supply, sale, or transfer of “all industrial machinery” to North Korea.
During the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games held in South Korea, the organizing committee decided not to provide Samsung smartphones to athletes from North Korea and Iran due to concerns about violating UN sanctions. Later, the IOC announced that it would provide Samsung smartphones to North Korean athletes on the condition that they return them before leaving, but North Korea refused to accept the condition and did not receive the phones.
However, the IOC told RFA, “The North Korean National Olympic Committee is not obligated to return Samsung phones, just like other national Olympic committees.” They did not address questions about whether this situation might violate UN sanctions.