There are growing concerns over possible violations of sanctions against North Korea after reports emerged that the North Korean delegation at the 2024 Paris Olympics received Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy smartphones as gifts.
Previously, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that its official sponsor, Samsung, provided specially made Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphones to all participating athletes at the Olympics.
It has been reported that the North Korean delegation also received these smartphones. The issue arises from the fact that the United Nations Security Council has prohibited the import of smartphones into North Korea from abroad.
In 2017, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2397, which bans the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of electrical equipment to North Korea under HS Code 85 (the Harmonized System of International Trade Classification). This includes smartphones, as they could potentially be repurposed for military use.
The South Korean government contends that the smartphones must be imported into North Korea for a sanctions violation to be confirmed. Simply possessing the phones while in France does not constitute a full violation of the sanctions as outlined by the UN Security Council.
Authorities in South Korea are currently investigating whether any smartphones provided to the North Korean delegation were brought back to North Korea after the games concluded and some athletes returned home. This investigation is expected to take some time to complete.
If it is confirmed that the smartphones were imported into North Korea, the IOC, which oversees Olympic-related matters, is likely to bear primary responsibility for the incident.
A similar scenario unfolded during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics when the organizing committee proposed giving smartphones to North Korean athletes with the stipulation that they would be returned after the games to avoid sanctions violations. North Korea rejected this condition, and the smartphones were ultimately not distributed.
This time, it appears that the organizers did not impose such conditions. Consequently, the IOC may come under increased scrutiny for its role in the situation. Also, as a permanent UN Security Council member, France could face criticism for any oversights.