Only North Korean athletes did not receive the gift, as South Korea feared it could violate UN sanctions against Pyongyang.
Samsung's Gold Medal in Marketing
During the Paris Olympics, you may have noticed the athletes taking selfies on the podium, all holding the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. As an official partner of the event, the South Korean tech giant went all out, gifting this smartphone to the 17,000 athletes participating in the games.
However, the only exception was the athletes from North Korea. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed on Thursday that they were the only ones who didn’t receive the gift. Earlier, the South Korean government explained that giving these phones to North Korean athletes might violate United Nations sanctions, particularly due to North Korea's nuclear weapons development program.
Selfie Between North and South Korean Table Tennis Players
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that a UN Security Council resolution prohibits the direct or indirect provision, sale, or transfer of any industrial machinery, including smartphones, to North Korea. This statement was in response to reports from Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-funded media outlet, which suggested that North Korean athletes might have received the phones.
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