TEHRAN, 9 Feb 2018:
Iran’s foreign ministry yesterday summoned the South Korean ambassador to protest a decision by Samsung Electronics to withhold the smartphone gift to Iranian athletes participating in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said a decision made under the pretext of the UN sanction mandate is “immoral,” China’s Xinhua news agency reported.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Samsung – as the sponsor of PyeongChang Olympics – refused to provide gifts of Galaxy Note 8 smartphones for Iranian and North Korean athletes.
“Iran strongly protest this “immoral behaviour that runs counter to the spirit of the Olympic Games which set their slogan devoid of race, colour, religion and politics,” Qasemi said.
Iran has demanded an apology from Samsung for “such an unwise measure,” warning it would “seriously affect” Iran’s trade ties with the South Korean company.
– Bernama