Samsung smartphones have not been distributed to North Korean Olympians, in contrast to athletes from other nations.
On Thursday, Seoul raised concerns that providing the phones
could potentially violate United Nations sanctions imposed on the nuclear-armed
North.
South Korea’s technology giant, Samsung Electronics, an
official partner of the Olympics, previously announced the provision of an
Olympic edition of its cutting-edge smartphone, the foldable Galaxy Z Flip6, to
approximately 17,000 athletes participating in this year’s Paris Games.
Samsung and the International Olympic Committee have
actively promoted “victory selfies” in Paris, where medalists on the podium
engage in group selfies using the Galaxy Z Flip6.
Notably, North Korean table tennis silver medalists
participated in one such group podium selfie last week alongside South Korean
bronze winners, marking a rare instance of inter-Korean interaction that gained
significant online attention.
The South Korean government expressed concerns on Thursday
regarding the potential violation of United Nations sanctions by providing
Samsung smartphones to North Korean Olympians. This development is linked to
Pyongyang’s weapons program, as reported by the US-funded outlet Radio Free
Asia, which indicated that North Korea had received the phones for its
athletes, similar to other nations.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a
statement late on Thursday, clarifying that North Korean Olympians have not
received the Samsung phones. The IOC did not provide any additional details
regarding this matter.
Korean ‘war’
The relationship between North and South Korea has reached one of its most strained states in recent years. Recently, North Korea declared the deployment of 250 ballistic missile launchers along its southern border. As a nuclear-armed and isolated nation, North Korea is prohibited from conducting tests involving ballistic missile technology under various UN resolutions.
Earlier on Thursday, the South Korean foreign ministry stated that a UN Security Council resolution prohibits “direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to North Korea of all industrial machinery.” It further noted that “smartphones are considered prohibited items under this resolution.”
The ministry emphasized that Seoul is actively engaging in diplomatic efforts in collaboration with the international community to ensure the strict enforcement of resolutions against the North.
In response to North Korea's heightened weapons testing and balloon bombardments this year, South Korea has resumed propaganda broadcasts along the border, completely suspended a military agreement aimed at reducing tensions, and restarted live-fire exercises near the border.
These broadcasts provoke significant anger in Pyongyang, which is highly sensitive to its citizens accessing information from the democratic South. Reports included in the broadcasts highlighted the global sales performance of Samsung smartphones and featured songs by the K-pop sensation BTS, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Notably, during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang,
South Korea, North Korea refused to accept Samsung smartphones that were
offered by the organizers of the event.
The North's athletes were required to return their phones
prior to their departure from the country, as reported by Yonhap.