
The report mentions that it's not Samsung's fault that the athletes from North Korea didn't get their free smartphones. Apparently an official accompanying the team went to Samsung's office and collected all of the devices meant for North Korea's 31 competing athletes. When DPRK athlete Kim Song I was asked by the scribe if she had received her free Samsung smartphone she is said to have shook her head.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the officials accompanying the team did confiscate the handsets given that it would possibly be a breach of protocol for the athletes to possess the devices, never mind the fact that they are made by Samsung which is based in DPRK’s arch rival, South Korea.