Sanctions Dilemma: Samsung Smartphones for North Korean Athletes

South Korean officials flagged a violation of UN sanctions when Samsung smartphones were provided to North Korean athletes at the Paris Olympics. The phones, banned under Security Council Resolution 2397, were meant for athletes at the Olympic village. South Korea is taking diplomatic measures to ensure the sanctions are upheld.

South Korean officials on Thursday flagged that sleek Samsung smartphones provided to North Korean athletes at the Paris Olympics would violate UN Security Council sanctions against the country over its nuclear and missile program.

As a major Olympic partner, Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphones were distributed to all athletes competing at the Paris Games. The International Olympic Committee confirmed that the phones reached the Olympic village for North Korean athletes, but their subsequent fate remains unclear.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry noted that smartphones are banned under Security Council Resolution 2397, which prohibits the supply, sale, or transfer of all industrial machinery to North Korea. Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong emphasized the importance of preventing these prohibited items from entering North Korea, confirming that diplomatic measures are underway, though specifics were not disclosed. The issue mirrors a similar incident during the 2018 Winter Olympics when North Korean athletes refused Samsung devices offered by the organizing committee.