North Korean players seen in sanctioned Nike shoes

North Korean basketball player Ro Suk-yong, right, wears Nike shoes in a match with Chinese Taipei during the Jakarta Palembang 2018 Asian Games, Thursday. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

Although North Korean basketballers are banned from wearing Nike-sponsored uniforms, they have been spotted wearing Nike basketball shoes.

U.S. sporting goods brand Nike recently said it did not provide uniforms for the unified Korean women's basketball team in the Jakarta Palembang 2018 Asian Games because of international sanctions on North Korea.

"We have worked closely with the (South) Korea Basketball Association to support the women's team," Nike official Kate Meyers recently told U.S. media Radio Free Asia (RFA). Nike sponsors the association. "Due to government requirements, the team will not compete in Nike uniforms during the Asian Games."

According to United Nations Security Council sanctions Resolution 2270, providing recreational sports equipment is in breach as it is one of the items defined as "luxury goods."

But North Korean players have been spotted wearing Nike basketball shoes during the Asian Games, as they are not directly provided by the brand.

Meanwhile, although North Korean joint venture Naegohyang has been expanding its presence in sports products, North Korean athletes and residents have been seen wearing foreign brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma.

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