North Korean Olympic athletes did not receive sanctioned smartphones, IOC says

Aug. 9 (UPI) -- As part of a major sponsorship package, South Korean electronics giant Samsung is handing out its special "Olympic edition" Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphones to every athlete competing in Paris 2024 -- except members of the North Korean squad, according to the International Olympic Committee on Thursday.

"We can confirm that the athletes of the [National Olympic Committee] of DPRK have not received the Samsung phones," the IOC said in a statement to UPI.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

Controversy about the gifts emerged Wednesday after a report in media outlet Radio Free Asia quoted Olympic officials as saying they had distributed Samsung phones to the North Korean delegation.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry responded by warning that the phones could violate U.N. sanctions against the nuclear-armed North.

"The United Nations Security Council, under paragraph 7 of Resolution 2397, prohibits the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all industrial machinery to North Korea," ministry spokesman Lee Jae-woong said at a press briefing Thursday. "Smartphones are embargoed under the resolution."

Resolution 2397 was adopted in December 2017 after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. Among other restrictions, it bans the North from importing "heavy machinery, industrial equipment and transportation vehicles."

"In order to ensure that this does not violate the resolution, it is important that the contraband is not brought into North Korea," Lee said. "Our government is making the necessary diplomatic efforts in coordination with the international community to ensure that the Security Council resolutions are fully implemented, and we will continue to do so."

A Samsung phone was at the center of one of Paris 2024's signature moments: the selfie shared by North and South Korean table tennis players last week. The silver medal-winning North Korean mixed doubles team and bronze medalists South Korea joined for a group photo on the awards podium, a rare moment of "sports diplomacy" between neighbors that are still technically at war.

The two Koreas also made headlines during the opening ceremony, when the South Korean team was mistakenly introduced as hailing from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea -- the North's official name -- sparking an outcry from Seoul.

IOC President Thomas Bach apologized to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for the gaffe, which he blamed on human error.

North Korea, which did not participate in the Tokyo 2022 and Beijing 2022 Games, sent a 16-person squad to Paris and has won two silver medals and four bronzes so far.

South Korea has won 28 medals as of Friday, including 13 golds, in its strongest showing since London 2012.