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.