Samsung Denies North Korean Olympians Complimentary Smartphones Due to UN Sanctions

North Korea's five-medal winning team at the Paris Olympics will not receive Samsung smartphones due to UN Security Council sanctions against the nation's weapons program. Samsung, the South Korean sponsor of the Olympics, has distributed 10,500 complimentary Galaxy Z Flip6 phones to other participating teams, but the South Korean Foreign Ministry has stated that providing smartphones to North Korean athletes could defy the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang's weapons program.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that North Korea's Olympic team, which has secured five medals at the Paris Games, will not receive the complimentary Samsung smartphones that have been distributed to all other participating teams.

Samsung, a South Korea-based sponsor of the Olympics, had announced that it would provide 10,500 complimentary new phones to this year's Olympians. The company offered the Galaxy Z Flip6, which features a foldable screen, a feature not available in any iPhone products.

Samsung Denies North Korean Olympians Complimentary Smartphones Due to UN Sanctions

However, the South Korean Foreign Ministry intervened, stating that providing Samsung smartphones to North Korean Olympians could defy UN sanctions related to Pyongyang's weapons program. According to the ministry, UN Security Council Resolution 2397 (2017) prohibits the direct or indirect supply, sale, and transfer of industrial machinery to North Korea, including smartphones.

The ministry emphasized its ongoing diplomatic efforts in collaboration with the international community to ensure the thorough implementation of UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea has been under UN sanctions for its ballistic missile and nuclear programs since 2006, and the sanctions have become more restrictive over the years.

Samsung Denies North Korean Olympians Complimentary Smartphones Due to UN Sanctions

Recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's military boasted about advancements in its weaponry, including the testing of the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 missile, which can carry a 4.5-ton warhead. In response, the South Korean military announced preparations for "Star Wars" laser defense systems as countermeasures to North Korea's advancing weapons capabilities.

Tensions between the two nations have resulted in similar incidents involving Samsung in the past. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, North Koreans refused to receive Samsung devices that the organizing committee had offered under condition that they return them before heading home.

Samsung Denies North Korean Olympians Complimentary Smartphones Due to UN Sanctions

North Korea has 14 athletes participating in the Paris Olympics. The country has won two silver medals, one in mixed doubles table tennis and another in women's synchronized 10-meter platform diving.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Samsung Denies North Korean Olympians Complimentary Smartphones Due to UN Sanctions