Those Samsung Smartphones Given to Olympic Athletes? They May Violate Sanctions on North Korea

 People pass by an advertisement of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Flip 6 at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)
People pass by an advertisement of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Flip 6 at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)
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Those Samsung Smartphones Given to Olympic Athletes? They May Violate Sanctions on North Korea

 People pass by an advertisement of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Flip 6 at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)
People pass by an advertisement of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Flip 6 at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)

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

The South Korean technology giant is a major Olympic partner, and its newest Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphones are being given to all athletes competing at the Games.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed that the phones were sent to the Olympic village, then later said the North Korean athletes had not received them. It's unclear where the phones might have went.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said smartphones are among the items banned under Security Council Resolution 2397 passed in 2017, which prohibits the supply, sale or transfer to North Korea of “all industrial machinery.”

The resolution doesn’t make a distinction between North Korea’s government and its people, and South Korean officials made clear the smartphones would be banned however they entered the country.

Lee Jaewoong, the ministry’s spokesperson, said it would be “critical to prevent the prohibited items from going into North Korea.”

He said the Seoul government was making “necessary diplomatic efforts” to ensure sanctions are upheld but refused to provide details.

The issue also arose during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, where the North Koreans refused to receive Samsung devices that the organizing committee had offered under condition that they return them before heading home, according to South Korean officials.

North Korea sent 16 athletes to the Paris Games to compete in seven sports, including wrestling, swimming, table tennis and boxing.

North Korea did not participate in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021 because of the country's self-imposed lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. The IOC then barred the country from participating in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing as punishment for refusing to send a team to Tokyo.



Saudi National Center for Wildlife Releases 134 Endangered Species at NEOM Nature Reserve

The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)
The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)
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Saudi National Center for Wildlife Releases 134 Endangered Species at NEOM Nature Reserve

The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)
The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)

The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW), in cooperation with NEOM, released 134 endangered species into NEOM Nature Reserve as part of programs for breeding and rewilding native species in their natural habitats.

NEOM Nature Reserve has received 100 Arabian oryxes, 20 Arabian gazelles, eight Nubian ibexes, and six Idmi gazelles to enhance previous releases, enrich biodiversity, and restore ecological systems within the Kingdom's natural environments.

NCW CEO Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban explained that this move is part of a series of releases conducted by NCW in various nature reserves. He emphasized that the release into NEOM Nature Reserve reflects the strong constructive cooperation and integration with partners in the wildlife sector.

Qurban stated that the center is committed to breeding and reintroducing endangered species into their natural habitats based on the highest global standards and practices.

He underscored the ongoing efforts to protect ecosystems, restore biodiversity, and enhance environmental balance to meet national objectives.

The NCW currently operates specialized facilities that rank among the leading global centers for breeding and reintroducing endangered species according to the highest standards, he added.

This release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment, boosting the appeal of nature reserves and national parks to promote eco-tourism, with a focus on building a sustainable future for coming generations.