View source for 1988 Summer Olympics

{{short description|Multi-sport event in Seoul, South Korea}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox Olympic games|1988|Summer|Olympics|
| image       = 1988 Summer Olympics logo.svg
| image_size  = 160
| caption     = Emblem of the 1988 Summer Olympics
| host_city   = [[Seoul]], South Korea
| motto       = ''Harmony and Progress''<br />({{korean|hangul=화합과 전진|labels=no}})
| nations     = 160
| athletes    = 8,453 (6,250 men, 2,203 women)
| events      = 237 in 23 [[Olympic sports|sports]] (31 disciplines)
| opening     = 17 September 1988
| closing     = 2 October 1988
| opened_by   = [[President of South Korea|President]] [[Roh Tae-woo]]<ref name="Opening and Cauldron">{{cite press release |title=Factsheet – Opening Ceremony of the Games of the Olympiad|url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf|url-status=live |publisher=International Olympic Committee|date=9 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814215458/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf |archive-date=14 August 2016|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref>
| cauldron    = Sohn Mi-chung<br />Chung Sun-man<br />[[Kim Won-tak]]<ref name="Opening and Cauldron"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/seoul-1988-torch-relay|title=Seoul 1988 Torch Relay|access-date=2 June 2018|website=olympic.org}}</ref>
| stadium     = [[Seoul Olympic Stadium]]
| summer_prev = [[1984 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles 1984]]
| summer_next = [[1992 Summer Olympics|Barcelona 1992]]
| winter_prev = [[1988 Winter Olympics|Calgary 1988]]
| winter_next = [[1992 Winter Olympics|Albertville 1992]]
|closed_by=[[President of the International Olympic Committee|IOC President]] [[Juan Antonio Samaranch]]}}
{{Infobox Korean name/auto
| hangul    =^서울 하계 ^올림픽
| ipa ={{IPA|ko|sʰʌ.uɭ haɡje oɭːimpʰik̚|}}
}}
{{1988 Summer Olympics}}

The '''1988 Summer Olympics''' ({{Korean|hangul=1988년 하계 올림픽}}), officially the '''Games of the XXIV Olympiad''' ({{Korean|hangul=제24회 올림픽경기대회|labels=no}}) and officially branded as '''Seoul 1988''' ({{Korean|hangul=서울 1988|labels=no}}), were an international [[multi-sport event]] held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in [[Seoul]], South Korea. 159 nations were represented at the games by a total of 8,391 athletes (6,197 men and 2,194 women). 237 events were held and 27,221 volunteers helped to prepare the Olympics.

The 1988 Seoul Olympics were the second summer [[Olympic Games]] held in Asia, after [[1964 Summer Olympics|Tokyo 1964]], and the first held in South Korea.<ref name="upi">{{cite web|title=Seoul surprises Nagoya for Olympic bid|date=30 September 1981|publisher=UPI|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/09/30/Seoul-surprises-Nagoya-for-Olympic-bid/5566370670400/}}</ref> As the host country, South Korea ranked fourth overall, winning 12 gold medals and 33 medals in the competition. 11,331 media (4,978 [[print media|written press]] and 6,353 [[broadcast media|broadcasters]]) showed the Games all over the world.<ref name="SEOUL 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad"/> These were the last Olympic Games of the [[Cold War]], as well as for the [[Soviet Union at the Olympics|Soviet Union]] and [[East Germany at the Olympics|East Germany]], as both ceased to exist before the next Olympic Games in [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992]]. The Soviet Union dominated the medal count, winning 55 gold and 132 total medals. The results that got closest to that medal haul in the years since are [[China at the 2008 Summer Olympics|China]]'s and the [[United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics|United States]]'s 48 gold medals in [[2008 Summer Olympics medal table|2008]] and [[2012 Summer Olympics medal table|2012]], respectively, and the [[United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics|United States]]'s 126 total medals in [[2024 Summer Olympics medal table|2024]].

Compared to the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] ([[Moscow]]) and the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] ([[Los Angeles]]), which were divided into two camps by ideology, the 1988 Seoul Olympics was a competition in which the boycotts virtually disappeared, although they were not completely over. A [[1988 Summer Olympics boycott|boycott of the 1988 Seoul Olympics]] took place, with [[North Korea]]<ref name=nk/> along with its allies [[Cuba]],<ref name=cub/> [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]],<ref name=eth/> [[Nicaragua]],<ref name=nic/> and [[Democratic Republic of Madagascar|Madagascar]] taking part.<ref name=mad>{{cite report |title=Official Report of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad Seoul 1988 |url=https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll8/id/33446/download |publisher=Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee |at=[https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/32859/rec/52 p. 246] and [https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/32873/rec/52 p. 260]. |language=en |date=September 17, 1989|quote=Madagascar pulled out of the Games at the last minute in support of the co-hosting demands of North Korea.|format=PDF}}</ref> [[Albania]] and the [[Seychelles]] did not respond to invitations sent by the [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]].<ref name="FindlingPelle1996">{{cite book|author1=John E. Findling|author2=Kimberly D. Pelle|title=Historical Dictionary of the Modern Olympic Movement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vj5-Srq3ki4C&pg=PA182|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-28477-9|pages=182–}}</ref> Nonetheless, the much larger boycotts seen in the three previous editions were avoided, resulting in the largest number of participating nations during the Cold War era.

For South Korea, the 1988 Olympics was a symbolic milestone that elevated its international standing while fostering national pride.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/ioc/legacy/seoul-1988/seoul-1988-south-korea-opens-up-to-the-world |title=Seoul 1988: South Korea opens up to the world |date=25 June 2020 |website=olympics.com}}</ref> Only thirty five years after the devastation of the [[Korean War]], and following decades of [[authoritarian]] rule and social unrest which concluded with the [[June Democratic Struggle]] just a year earlier, the games were staged successfully. The event was regarded as the peak of the "[[Miracle on the Han River]]".<ref>{{Cite news |title=OLYMPICS '88: A PREVIEW : THE HOST CITY : Seoul Rises From Ashes to Become Metropolitan Center of Distinction|author=Randy Harvey|newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 14, 1988|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-14-ss-1983-story.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bridges |first=Brian |date=2008-12-01|title=The Seoul Olympics: Economic Miracle Meets the World |journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport |volume=25 |issue=14 |pages=1939–52 |doi=10.1080/09523360802438983|s2cid=143356778 |issn=0952-3367}}</ref> In 1999, 11 years after the games, the IOC returned to Seoul for the [[List of IOC meetings|109th IOC Session]], which saw Turin elected as the host city for the [[2006 Winter Olympics]].

==Host city selection==
Seoul was chosen to host the [[Summer Olympics|Summer Games]] through a vote held on 30 September 1981, finishing ahead of [[Nagoya]], Japan.<ref name="SEOUL 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad">{{cite web
| title = Seoul 1988
|url=http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Games/All-Past-Olympic-Games/Summer/Seoul-1988/
|work=olympic.org
| access-date =12 March 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004191226/http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Games/All-Past-Olympic-Games/Summer/Seoul-1988/| archive-date= 4 October 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref> The awarding to Seoul was internationally considered to be surprising, with Nagoya having been considered a favourite.<ref name="upi"/> Below was the vote count that occurred at the 84th [[IOC Session]] and 11th [[Olympic Congress]] in [[Baden-Baden]], [[West Germany]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html|title=Vote History|publisher=IOC|access-date=7 October 2011|archive-date=25 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525070757/http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+ 1988 Summer Olympics bidding result<ref name=votes>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml |title=Past Olympic host city election results |publisher=[[GamesBids]] |access-date=17 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124022022/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/past.html |archive-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref>
|-
! City
! Country (NOC)
| style="background:silver;"|'''Round 1'''
|-
| '''[[Seoul]]'''|| '''{{flag|South Korea|1949}}'''|| style="text-align:center;" |'''52'''
|-
| [[Nagoya bid for the 1988 Summer Olympics|Nagoya]] || {{flag|Japan|1947}} || style="text-align:center;"|27
|}

Seoul had previously hosted many international events, but the most noteworthy ones were the [[Miss Universe 1980]] and the [[1986 Asian Games]], thus demonstrating that it had the appropriate capability.<ref>{{cite web |title=第10届亚运会概况—1986年汉城亚运会 |url=https://sports.qq.com/a/20100329/001205.htm |website=Tencent Sports |access-date=11 February 2019}}</ref>

==Highlights==
[[File:Seoul Olympic torch.jpg|right|thumb|[[Kim Won-tak]] (athlete), Chong Son-man (teacher) and Son Mi-jong (dance student) during the lighting of the 1988 Summer Olympic cauldron]]
[[File:Fireworks at the closing ceremonies of the 1988 Summer Games.JPEG|thumb|Fireworks at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
* Soviet [[Vladimir Artemov]] won four gold medals in gymnastics.<ref name="Honored Inductees - Vladimir Artemov">{{cite web | title = Honored Inductees – Vladimir Artemov |url=http://www.ighof.com/honorees/honorees_artemov.html |work=[[International Gymnastics Hall of Fame|www.ighof.com]] | access-date =6 October 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030190746/http://www.ighof.com/honorees/honorees_artemov.html| archive-date= 30 October 2007 | url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Daniela Silivaş]] of Romania won three and equalled compatriot [[Nadia Comăneci]]'s record of seven [[Perfect 10 (gymnastics)|perfect 10s]] in one Olympic Games.<ref name="Honored Inductees - Daniela Silivas">{{cite web | title = Honored Inductees – Daniela Silivas |url=http://www.ighof.com/honorees/honorees_silivas.html |work=[[International Gymnastics Hall of Fame|www.ighof.com]]
| access-date =6 October 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927194910/http://www.ighof.com/honorees/honorees_silivas.html| archive-date= 27 September 2007 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
* After having demolished the world record in the 100-metre dash at the US Olympic trials in Indianapolis, sprinter [[Florence Griffith Joyner]] set an Olympic record (10.62) in the 100-metre dash and a still-standing world record (21.34) in the 200-metre dash to capture gold medals in both events. To these medals, she added a gold in the 4×100 relay and a silver in the 4×400.<ref name="World Sport - Florence Griffith-Joyner">{{cite news | title = World Sport – Florence Griffith-Joyner |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/06/03/olympics.griffithjoyner/index.html |work=CNN| access-date =6 October 2007 | date=23 June 2004}}</ref>
* This was the first Olympic Games where women's sailing was its own event. It was won by Americans [[Allison Jolly]] and [[Lynne Jewell]].
* Canadian [[Ben Johnson (Canadian sprinter)|Ben Johnson]] won [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|the 100-metre final]] with a world-record time of 9.79 seconds, but was disqualified after he tested positive for [[stanozolol]]. Johnson has since claimed that his positive test was the result of sabotage.<ref name="Odd tale of mystery man in waiting-room">{{cite news
| title = A Look at André Jackson, the Mystery Man (and friend of Carl Lewis) in the Drug testing area with Ben Johnson in Seoul|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article1161912.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622070816/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article1161912.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 June 2011 |work= The Times Online (UK)| access-date =23 September 2003 | location=London | date=23 September 2003| first=Laura| last=Pitel}}</ref><ref name="Ben Johnson acusa a EEUU de proteger a sus atletas dopados">{{cite web | language = es | title = Ben Johnson acusa a EEUU de proteger a sus atletas dopados |url=http://www.elmundo.es/jjoo/2004/2004/08/11/atletismo/1092214891.html
|work=[[El Mundo (Spain)|www.elmundo.es]] | access-date =6 October 2007 }}</ref>
* In the [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's artistic team all-around|women's artistic gymnastics team all-around competition]], the United States women's team was penalized five-tenths of a point from their team score by the [[International Federation of Gymnastics|Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG)]] after the compulsory round. East German judge [[Ellen Berger]] noticed that [[Rhonda Faehn]], who was the American team alternate and not competing, had been standing on the [[uneven bars (gymnastics)|uneven bars]] podium for the duration of [[Kelly Garrison-Funderburk|Kelly Garrison-Steve's]] compulsory uneven bars routine. Although Faehn was not a coach, Berger assessed the penalty under a rule prohibiting coaches from remaining on the podium while an athlete competes. The deduction caused the United States to fall to fourth place with a combined score of 390.575, three-tenths of a point behind East Germany. This incident remains controversial in the sport of gymnastics, as the United States outperformed the East German team and would have taken the bronze medal in the team competition had they not been penalized.
* [[Phoebe Mills]] won an individual bronze medal on the balance beam, shared with Romania's [[Gabriela Potorac]], making history as the first medal (team or individual) ever won by a US woman in artistic gymnastics at a fully attended games.
*The USSR won their final team gold medals in artistic gymnastics on both the men's and women's sides with scores of 593.350 and 395.475 respectively. The men's team was led by [[Vladimir Artemov]], while [[Elena Shushunova]] led the women's team.
* [[Lawrence Lemieux]], a Canadian sailor in the [[Finn (dinghy)|Finn class]], was in second place and poised to win a silver medal when he abandoned the race to save an injured competitor in mortal peril. He finished in 21st place, but was recognized by the [[International Fair Play Committee]] with the Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy honoring his bravery and sacrifice.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-athletes-have-won-the-pierre-de-coubertin-medal-2016-8 |title=There are 2 prestigious awards named for the founder of the modern Olympic movement – here are 8 athletes who have won them |last=Praderio |first=Caroline |date=23 August 2016 |website=Business Insider |access-date=9 August 2024}}</ref>
* American diver [[Greg Louganis]] won back-to-back titles on both diving events despite striking his head on the springboard during his third-round dive and suffering a concussion.
* [[Christa Luding-Rothenburger]] of East Germany won the silver medal in the women's sprint event in cycling. Combined with the two medals she won in speed skating in [[1988 Winter Olympics|the Winter Games in Calgary]], she became the first athlete to win medals in two Olympics held in the same year; this feat is no longer possible due to the current scheduling of the Olympic Games.<ref name="Christa Luding-Rothenburger Encyclopædia Britannica article">{{cite encyclopedia | title = Christa Luding-Rothenburger Encyclopædia Britannica article |url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9002734/Christa-Luding-Rothenburger |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica|Britannica Online Encyclopedia]] | access-date =6 October 2007 }}</ref>
* [[Anthony Nesty]] of [[Suriname]] won his country's first Olympic medal by winning the [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|men's 100-metre butterfly]], prevailing over American [[Matt Biondi]] by .01 of a second (thwarting Biondi's attempt to match [[Mark Spitz]]'s record seven golds in one Olympics).<ref name="Odds against Phelps eclipsing Spitz - Biondi">{{cite news | title = Odds against Phelps eclipsing Spitz |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService_2_MOLT/idUSL2876024120080529 | access-date =29 May 2008 | work=Reuters | date=29 May 2008}}</ref> Nesty was the first [[Black people|black person]] to win an individual swimming gold.<ref name="El deporte en el Sur">{{cite web
| language = es | title = El deporte en el Sur
|url=http://www.liceus.com/cgi-bin/ac/pu/Alejandro_Guevara_Deporte.asp
|work=Alejandro Guevara Onofre, Liceus.com
| access-date =6 October 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017015346/http://www.liceus.com/cgi-bin/ac/pu/Alejandro_Guevara_Deporte.asp| archive-date= 17 October 2007 | url-status=live}}</ref>
* Swimmer [[Kristin Otto]] of East Germany won six gold medals. Other multi-gold medalists in the pool were Matt Biondi (five)<ref name="United States Olympic Committee - Biondi, Matt">{{cite web  |title=United States Olympic Committee – Biondi, Matt |url=http://www.usoc.org/26_37838.htm  |work=[[United States Olympic Committee|usoc.com]] |access-date=6 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010090004/http://www.usoc.org/26_37838.htm |archive-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Janet Evans]] (three).<ref name="United States Olympic Committee - Evans, Janet">{{cite web |title=United States Olympic Committee – Evans, Janet |url=http://www.usoc.org/26_37840.htm |work=[[United States Olympic Committee|usoc.com]] |access-date=6 October 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011230617/http://www.usoc.org/26_37840.htm |archive-date=11 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Swedish [[Fencing|fencer]] [[Kerstin Palm]] became the first woman to take part in seven Olympics.<ref name="SEOUL 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad"/>
* [[Mark Todd (equestrian)|Mark Todd]] of New Zealand won his second consecutive individual gold medal in the three-day event in equestrian on [[Charisma (horse)|Charisma]], only the second time in eventing history that a gold medal has been won consecutively.<ref name="History of Awards : 1980-1989">{{cite web
 |title=History of Awards : 1980–1989
 |url=http://www.powerupdates.com/clients/halberg/pages/a_article.asp?pid=0&cid=-630935410&aid=789227824
 |work=Halberg Trust website
 |access-date=6 October 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927231704/http://www.powerupdates.com/clients/halberg/pages/a_article.asp?pid=0&cid=-630935410&aid=789227824
 |archive-date=27 September 2007
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>
* Baseball<ref name="Demonstration Sports at the Olympic Games">{{cite web
| title = Demonstration Sports at the Olympic Games
|url=http://www.topendsports.com/events/discontinued/demo.htm
| work=topendsports.com
| access-date =6 October 2007 }}</ref> and [[Taekwondo]]<ref name="About WTF - History">{{cite web
 |title=About WTF – History
 |url=http://www.wtf.org/site/about_wtf/history.htm
 |work=[[World Taekwondo Federation|www.wtf.org]]
 |access-date=6 October 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005052615/http://www.wtf.org/site/about_wtf/history.htm
 |archive-date=5 October 2007
|url-status=live
 
}}</ref> were demonstration sports. The opening ceremony featured a mass demonstration of taekwondo with hundreds of adults and children performing moves in unison.
* This was the last time the United States was represented by an all-amateur basketball team that did not feature [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] players;<ref name="The Original Dream Team">{{cite web |title = The Original Dream Team |url = http://www.nba.com/history/dreamT_moments.html |work = [[National Basketball Association|NBA.com]] |access-date = 6 October 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071024164412/http://www.nba.com/history/dreamT_moments.html |archive-date = 24 October 2007 |url-status = dead}}</ref> the team won the bronze medal after losing to the Soviet Union (that was represented by veteran professionals) which went on to win the gold medal.<ref name="THE SEOUL OLYMPICS: Men's Basketball; After 16-Year Wait, Soviets Stun U.S. Again, 82-76">{{cite news | title = THE SEOUL OLYMPICS: Men's Basketball; After 16-Year Wait, Soviets Stun U.S. Again, 82–76 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/28/sports/seoul-olympics-men-s-basketball-after-16-year-wait-soviets-stun-us-again-82-76.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fO%2fOlympic%20Games&pagewanted=print |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Peter |last=Alfano |date=28 September 1988
| access-date =6 October 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Federation Rule Change Opens Olympics to N.B.A. Players|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/08/sports/federation-rule-change-opens-olympics-to-nba-players.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 5, 2020|date=April 8, 1989}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/featured-news/olympic-basketball-history-dream-team-usa-soviet-union|title = History of basketball at Olympics: A tale of American domination}}</ref>
* For the first time in history, all the [[dressage]] events were won by women.<ref name="Canada at the 1988 Summer Olympics">{{cite web
 |title       = Canada at the 1988 Summer Olympics
 |url         = http://www.sportsofworld.com/olympics/country-performance/canada/1988-seoul.html
 |work        = sportsofworld.com
 |access-date  = 6 October 2007
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071013023535/http://www.sportsofworld.com/olympics/country-performance/canada/1988-seoul.html
 |archive-date = 13 October 2007
|url-status     = dead
 |df          = dmy
}}</ref>
* Women's [[judo]] was held for the first time, as a demonstration sport.<ref name="Obukan Judo History">{{cite web
 |title       = Obukan Judo History
 |url         = http://www.obukan.org/History.htm
 |work        = obukan.org
 |access-date  = 6 October 2007
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071228094748/http://www.obukan.org/History.htm
 |archive-date = 28 December 2007
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>
* Bowling was held as a demonstration sport, with [[Kwon Jong Yul]] of South Korea and [[Arianne Cerdeña]] from the Philippines winning the men's and women's gold medals, respectively.
* Table tennis was introduced at the Olympics, with China and South Korea both winning two titles.<ref name="Olympic Table Tennis Champions">{{cite web
| title = Olympic Table Tennis Champions
|url=http://www.usatt.org/organization/champions/olympic_champions.shtml
|work=usatt.org
| access-date =6 October 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020015722/http://usatt.org/organization/champions/olympic_champions.shtml| archive-date= 20 October 2007 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Tennis returned to the Olympics after a 64-year absence.<ref name="THE SEOUL OLYMPICS: Tennis; Tennis Returns to Good Reviews">{{cite news
| title = The Seoul Olympics: Tennis; Tennis Returns to Good Reviews
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/02/sports/the-seoul-olympics-tennis-tennis-returns-to-good-reviews.html
|work=[[The New York Times]]
| first=Peter
| last=Alfano
| date=2 October 1988}}</ref> [[Steffi Graf]] of West Germany added to her four [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] victories in the year by also winning the Olympic title in [[Tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's singles|women's singles]],<ref name="Steffi graf, la mejor">{{cite web
 |language    = es
 |title       = Steffi graf, la mejor
 |url         = http://www.eltenis.net/tenis-femenino/steffi-graf-la-mejor.php
 |work        = elTenis.net
 |access-date  = 6 October 2007
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080807155847/http://www.eltenis.net/tenis-femenino/steffi-graf-la-mejor.php
 |archive-date = 7 August 2008
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> beating [[Gabriela Sabatini]] of Argentina in the final.<ref name="Gabriela Sabatini - Fotos, Vídeos, Biografía, Wallpapers y Ficha Técnica">{{cite web
 |language    = es
 |title       = Gabriela Sabatini – Fotos, Vídeos, Biografía, Wallpapers y Ficha Técnica
 |url         = http://www.idolosdeportivos.com/tenis/gabriela-sabatini.php
 |work        = idolosdeportivos.com
 |access-date  = 6 October 2007
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071018024552/http://www.idolosdeportivos.com/tenis/gabriela-sabatini.php
 |archive-date = 18 October 2007
|url-status     = usurped
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> Graf became the first person to win all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold in a calendar year, known as the [[Grand Slam (tennis)#Golden Slam|golden slam]].
* Two Bulgarian [[Olympic weightlifting|weightlifters]] were stripped of their gold medals after failing doping tests, and the team withdrew after this event.<ref name="THE SEOUL OLYMPICS: Weight Lifting; Team Lifted After 2d Drug Test Is Failed">{{cite news
| title = The Seoul Olympics: Weight Lifting; Team Lifted After 2d Drug Test Is Failed
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/24/sports/the-seoul-olympics-weight-lifting-team-lifted-after-2d-drug-test-is-failed.html
|url-access=subscription
|work=[[The New York Times]]
| access-date =6 October 2007
| date=24 September 1988}}</ref>
* In boxing, [[Roy Jones Jr.]] of the United States dominated his opponents, never losing a single round en route to the final. In the final, he controversially lost a 3–2 decision to South Korean fighter [[Park Si-Hun]] despite pummeling Park for three rounds and landing 86 punches to Park's 32.<ref name="query.nytimes.com">{{cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7DD153DF934A35753C1A96E948260 |url-access=subscription | work=The New York Times | title=In Losing, a Boxer Won | first=David | last=Mamet | date=7 October 1988 | access-date=10 April 2010}}</ref><ref name="times">{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805E4D9163AF935A1575AC0A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1|title=Sports of The Times – Nice Gesture Substitutes For Justice |date=26 September 1997|website=The New York Times |first1=George |last1=Vecsey |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="Seoul Games scarred by riots">{{cite web
| title = Seoul Games scarred by riots
|url=http://in.rediff.com/sports/2004/jul/05oly.htm
|date=July 5, 2004
|first1=John |last1=Mehaffey
| work=[[Rediff.com|in.rediff.com]]
| access-date =22 August 2008 }}</ref>
* In another boxing controversy, [[Riddick Bowe]] of the United States lost a controversial match in the final to Canadian future world heavyweight champion [[Lennox Lewis]]. Bowe had a dominant first round, landing 33 of 94 punches thrown (34%) while Lewis landed 14 of 67 (21%). In the first round the referee from East Germany gave Bowe two cautions for headbutts and deducted a point for a third headbutt, although replay clearly showed there was none. Commentator [[Ferdie Pacheco]] disagreed with the deduction, saying they did not hit heads. In the second round, Lewis landed several hard punches. The referee gave Bowe two [[standing eight count]]s and waved the fight off after the second one, even though Bowe seemed able to continue. Pacheco disagreed with the stoppage, calling it "very strange".<ref>{{cite web|title=Lennox Lewis vs Riddick Bowe 88 Olympic Final|website = [[YouTube]] |last1=FightFranchise |date = 13 April 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K39AbwNl3QU| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/K39AbwNl3QU| archive-date=2021-10-30|access-date=3 May 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Soviet weightlifter [[Yury Zakharevich]] won the men's heavyweight (up to 110&nbsp;kg class) with a {{cvt|210|kg}} snatch and {{cvt|245|kg}} clean and jerk for a {{cvt|455|kg}} total. Zakhareivich had dislocated his elbow in 1983 attempting a world record and had it rebuilt with synthetic tendons.
* Indonesia gained its first medal in Olympic history when the women's team won a silver medal in archery.

==Ceremonies==
Live doves were released during the opening ceremony as a symbol of world peace, but a number of the doves were burned alive or suffered major trauma by the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. As a result of protests following the incident, the last time live doves were released during the opening ceremony was in 1992 in Barcelona, at the start of the ceremony. Balloon doves were released in [[1994 Winter Olympics]] and the [[1998 Winter Olympics]] and paper doves were used at the Atlanta Ceremony in [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug132004/oly5.asp |title=When messengers of peace were burned alive |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040829084509/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug132004/oly5.asp |archive-date=29 August 2004 |website=Deccan Herald |date=12 August 2004 |access-date=1 March 2024}}</ref>

These were also the last Summer Olympic Games to hold the opening ceremony during the daytime. The opening ceremony featured a skydiving team descending over the stadium and forming the five-colored Olympic Rings,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skydivecolumbus.com/demo_jumps.htm|title=Demo Jumps |website=Columbus School of Skydiving |access-date=5 March 2010|archive-date=25 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925160622/http://www.skydivecolumbus.com/demo_jumps.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as a mass demonstration of [[taekwondo]]. The skydiving team trained at [[Yolo County Airport|SkyDance SkyDiving]] and had hoped the opening ceremony appearance would set the stage for skydiving becoming a medal event by 2000.<ref name="skydance">{{cite news|last=Natt|first=Lorena|title=Skydivers aiming to elevate sport with Olympic jump|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-ana-orange-county-register-sep-05-1988-p-29/|work=[[The Orange County Register]]|date=5 September 1988|access-date=12 July 2018}}</ref>

==Domestic historical significance==
[[File:View_from_COEX_Tower.jpg|thumb|[[Seoul Olympic Stadium]]]]
The idea for South Korea to place a bid for the 1988 Games emerged during the last days of the [[Park Chung Hee]] administration in the late 1970s, as hosting the Olympics was a big opportunity to bring international attention to South Korea. But before that, it was necessary to prove the country's capacity, as South Korea was seen as an exotic and risky destination for large events.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Horton|first1=Peter|last2=Saunders|first2=John|title=The 'East Asian' Olympic Games: what of sustainable legacies?|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/75273953|publisher=Taylor and Francis|access-date=20 February 2015}}</ref> The project continued to run even after [[Assassination of Park Chung Hee|President Park's assassination in 1979]]. 
With the successful staging of [[Miss Universe 1980]] and the [[1986 Asian Games]], [[Chun Doo-hwan]], Park's successor, submitted Korea's bid to the IOC in September 1981, in hopes that the increased international exposure brought by the Olympics would legitimize his authoritarian regime amidst increasing political pressure for democratization and less rigidity in state policies. Further, he hoped it would provide protection from increasing threats from [[North Korea]], and showcase the [[Miracle on the Han River|economic strength that the country was experiencing]] to the world.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Manheim|first1=Jarol|title=Rites of Passage: The 1988 Seoul Olympics as Public Diplomacy|journal=The Western Political Quarterly|volume=43|issue=2|publisher=Western Political Science Association|pages=279–295|jstor=448367|year=1990|doi=10.2307/448367}}</ref> Seoul was awarded the bid on 30 September 1981, becoming the 16th nation in the [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Olympics]], as well as the second Asian nation (following Japan in the [[1964 Summer Olympics]]) and the first mainland Asian nation to host the Olympics.

Influenced by the model of [[1964 Summer Olympics]] held in Tokyo, which served as a rite of passage for the Japanese economy and re-integration of Japan in the international community in the post-war era, the South Korean government hoped to use the Olympics as a "coming-out party". The Olympics gave a powerful impetus to the development of South Korea's relations with Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and with China.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Cho|first1=Ji-Hyun|last2=Bairner|first2=Alan|title=The sociocultural legacy of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games|journal=Leisure Studies|volume=31|issue=3|pages=271–289|doi=10.1080/02614367.2011.636178|year=2012|s2cid=144604578}}</ref> In January 1982, South Korea's [[curfew]] that had been in place since 1945 was lifted.<ref>{{cite news |author=Tracy Dahl |date=January 18, 1982 |title=S. Koreans Enjoy Nights Without Curfew |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/01/18/s-koreans-enjoy-nights-without-curfew/d7ff2e94-fc38-4cb0-97ca-bebdedbe93b2/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

In utilizing media events theory, Larson and Park investigated the Seoul Olympics as a form of political communication. They revealed the significance of South Korea's military government throughout the period of the Olympic bid and preparation, followed by the many advantages of the hosting the Games: rapid economic modernization, social mobilization and the legitimization of the military dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kang|first1=Jaeho|last2=Traganou|first2=Jilly|year=2011|title=The Beijing National Stadium as Media-space|journal=Design and Culture|volume=3|issue=2|pages=145–163|doi=10.2752/175470811X13002771867761|s2cid=143762612}}</ref>

==Homeless camp expansion==
Existing camps for "vagrants" (homeless persons) were ramped up before the 1988 Olympics. An Associated Press article states that homeless people and alcoholics, "but mostly children and the disabled" were arrested and sent to these camps to prepare for the Olympics. In addition, a prosecutor had his investigation into the Brothers Home camp limited at a number of levels of government "in part out of fear of an embarrassing international incident on the eve of the Olympics."<ref name="Associated Press 2016-04-20">{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/c22de3a565fe4e85a0508bbbd72c3c1b|title=AP: S. Korea covered up mass abuse, killings of 'vagrants'|last=Kim|first=Tong-Hyung|date=20 April 2016|work=Associated Press News}}</ref><!--Although there are plenty of secondary sources out there, the AP ref. seems to be the only primary source for this info-->

In 1975, the previous president of South Korea had begun a policy of rounding up vagrants. According to government documents obtained by the Associated Press, from 1981 to 1986 the number of people held increased from 8,600 to more than 16,000.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hong|first=Sukjung|date=21 August 2016|title=The Heinous Olympification of Seoul|magazine=The New Republic|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/136167/heinous-olympification-seoul}}</ref> Police officers often received promotions based on the number of vagrants they had arrested<!-- The AP article states, "And police officers were often promoted depending on how many vagrants they picked up." -->, and owners of facilities received a subsidy based on the number of people held. There were multiple reports of inmates raped or beaten, and sometimes beaten to death.<ref name="Associated Press 2016-04-20"/>

4,000 of these "vagrants" were held at the [[Brothers Home]] facility.<ref name=hancocks/> Many of the guards were former inmates who had been "promoted" because of loyalty to the camp's owner. Various money-making operations were conducted such as manufacturing ball-point pens and fishing hooks, as well as clothing for Daewoo. Only a few inmates were paid belatedly for this work.<ref name="Associated Press 2016-04-20"/>

By accident while on a hunting trip, prosecutor Kim Yong-won heard about and visited a work detail of prisoners in ragged clothes overseen by guards with wooden bats and dogs. In his words, he knew immediately that "a very serious crime" was occurring, and in January 1987, he led a raid on the facility and found beaten and malnourished inmates. He was politically pressured at various levels to reduce the charges against the owner, managers, and guards. In the end, the owner only served {{frac|2|1|2}} years in prison.<ref name="Associated Press 2016-04-20"/>

The Brothers Home was a religious facility based on the Christian faith. There were, in fact, inspections by both city officials and church officials. However, these were scheduled inspections in which healthier inmates were presented in carefully planned and orchestrated circumstances. There were no unannounced inspections.<ref name="Associated Press 2016-04-20"/>

In the 1990s, construction workers found about 100 human bones on a mountainside outside the location of the former Brothers Home.<ref name="Associated Press 2016-04-20"/> Victims of the Brothers Home are seeking a government investigation into the crimes committed and accountability.<ref name=hancocks>{{cite news|last=Hancocks |first=Paula |title=South Korea's shame: Child victims of Brothers Home abuse still searching for justice|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/25/asia/south-korea-brothers-home-abuse/index.html|date=October 25, 2016|access-date=2021-07-28|website=CNN}}</ref>

==Boycott==
{{Main|1988 Summer Olympics boycott}}
[[File:1988 Summer Olympics Seoul boycotting countries blue.png|thumb|370px|Countries boycotting or absent from the 1988 Games are shaded blue.]]
The games were boycotted by North Korea and its allies [[Cuba]], Nicaragua, [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]], and Madagascar.

[[North Korea]] had insisted upon co-hosting the Games, something that had been encouraged by Cuban president [[Fidel Castro]], who called for North Korea to be considered joint host of the Games. On 8 and 9 January 1986 in [[Lausanne]], Switzerland, the IOC President chaired a meeting of the North and South Korean Olympic Committees. North Korea demanded that eleven of the 23 Olympic sports be carried out on its territory, special opening and closing ceremonies, and a joint organizing committee and a united team. The negotiations were continued into another meeting, but were not successful.<ref>{{cite web | last=Radchenko | first=Sergey | date=December 12, 2011 | url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/sport-and-politics-the-korean-peninsula-north-korea-and-the-1988-seoul-olympics | title=Sport and Politics on the Korean Peninsula – North Korea and the 1988 Seoul Olympic | work=wilsoncenter.org }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media | title=1987 IAAF World Track and Field Championships - Day 9 | date=July 26, 2017 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSuL4z63kjs | via=YouTube | time=2:39:23 }}</ref> 

North Korea then announced its boycott on September 3, 1988. The North Korean Central News Agency stated "this will leave another stain on Olympic history", and that "the 24th Olympic Games will be inevitably another crippled Olympiad where not all Olympic member states will participate".<ref name=nk>{{cite news|title=North Korea Announces Olympic Boycott|newspaper=UPI|date=September 3, 1988|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/09/03/North-Korea-announces-Olympic-boycott/4545589262400/}}</ref>

Nicaragua had previously announced its intention to boycott on May 20, 1987. Moises Hassan Morales, the Nicaraguan NOC president, stated "if the 1988 Olympics are not carried out in Pyongyang and Seoul, the two Korean capitals, Nicaragua will not attend this event".<ref name=nic>{{cite news|title=Nicaragua Conditions Its Attendance at Olympic Games|newspaper=UPI|date=May 20, 1987|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/05/20/Nicaragua-conditions-its-attendance-at-Olympic-Games/2883548481600/}}</ref>

Cuba made its boycott announcement on January 16, 1988, where it stated "Cuba deeply laments this decision, but our people and our athletes live by profound ethical norms and a great sense of honor".<ref name=cub>{{cite news|title=Cuba, Following the Lead of North Korea, Will Not Participate in Seoul's Summer Olympic Games|newspaper=UPI|date=January 16, 1988|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/01/16/Cuba-following-the-lead-of-ally-North-Korea-will/8073569307600/}}</ref> 

Ethiopia announced on January 20, 1988, that it would boycott the 1988 Summer Olympics in solidarity with North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Madagascar, which had all criticized the decision disallowing North Korea to jointly organize the Games. The Ethiopian NOC said "at a time when the Korean people, who are divided against their will, are struggling for peaceful negotiations, Ethiopia strongly objects to the Olympic Games being conducted in South Korea which further strengthens disunity", adding that Ethiopia would participate "if the decision to keep the games in South Korea were reversed".<ref name=eth>{{cite news|title=Ethiopia Says It Will Boycott Seoul Olympics|newspaper=UPI|date=January 20, 1988|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/01/20/Ethiopia-says-it-will-boycott-Seoul-Olympics/2535569653200/}}</ref> 

The Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee (SLOOC) closed the receipt of final entry applications for athletics on September 8, 1988. Among the 161 NOCs which officially notified their intention to participate in the Olympics, Madagascar failed to send in an entry form by the closing date, thus, its athletes did not compete at the Games. According to the SLOOC, Madagascar did this "in support of North Korea's co-hosting request".<ref name=mad/>

[[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albania]] and the [[Seychelles]] did not respond to the invitations sent by the [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]].<ref name="FindlingPelle1996"/>

==Official theme song==
[[File:Seoul 88 olympic torch flame.jpg|thumb|One of the [[Olympic Torch]]s used during the 1988 Summer Olympics Torch Relay ]]
{{main|Hand in Hand (Olympic theme song)}}
The Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee (SLOOC) also produced and distributed an official song of the Seoul Games to publicize the Games to all National Olympic Committees, encouraging their participation and consolidating the idea of harmony and friendship of the entire world through the song. "[[Hand in Hand (Olympics)|Hand in Hand]]" was commissioned for the Italian composer [[Giorgio Moroder]] and the American songwriter [[Tom Whitlock]], and was performed by local group [[Koreana (band)|Koreana]].

==Venues==
{{Main|Venues of the 1988 Summer Olympics}}
[[File:Khitai6.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Olympic Park, Seoul|World Peace Gate]] in Seoul]]
[[File:Jamsil Indoor Swimming Pool.jpg|thumb|[[Jamsil Indoor Swimming Pool]]]]
[[File:Autumn Seoul Olympic Park.jpg|thumb|[[Olympic Park, Seoul|Seoul Olympic Park]] in autumn]]
*[[Seoul Sports Complex]] venues
**[[Olympic Stadium (Seoul)|Seoul Olympic Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}} – opening/closing ceremonies, athletics, equestrian (jumping individual final), football (final)
**[[Jamsil Indoor Swimming Pool]]{{ref label|E|E}} – diving, modern pentathlon (swimming), synchronized swimming, swimming, water polo
**[[Jamsil Gymnasium]]{{ref label|E|E}} – basketball, volleyball (final)
**[[Jamsil Students' Gymnasium]]{{ref label|E|E}} – boxing
**[[Jamsil Baseball Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}} – baseball (demonstration)
*[[Olympic Park, Seoul|Olympic Park]] venues
**[[Olympic Velodrome (Seoul)|Olympic Velodrome]]{{ref label|N|N}} – cycling (track)
**[[Olympic Weightlifting Gymnasium]]{{ref label|N|N}} – weightlifting
**[[Olympic Fencing Gymnasium]]{{ref label|N|N}} – fencing, modern pentathlon (fencing)
**[[Olympic Gymnastics Arena|Olympic Gymnastics Hall]]{{ref label|N|N}} – gymnastics
**[[Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center|Olympic Tennis Center]]{{ref label|N|N}} – tennis
**[[Mongchon Tosong]]{{ref label|N|N}} – modern pentathlon (running)
*Other venues in metropolitan Seoul
**[[Seoul Race Park|Seoul Equestrian Park]]– equestrian (all but jumping individual final), modern pentathlon (riding)
**[[Misari Regatta|Han River Regatta Course/Canoeing Site Course]]{{ref label|N|N}} – canoeing, rowing
**[[Saemaul Sports Hall]]{{ref label|N|N}} – volleyball preliminaries
**[[Hanyang University Gymnasium]]{{ref label|N|N}} – volleyball preliminaries
**[[Changchung Gymnasium]]{{ref label|E|E}} – judo, taekwondo (demonstration)
**[[Seoul National University Gymnasium]] – badminton (demonstration), table tennis
**[[Royal Bowling Center]]{{ref label|E|E}} – bowling (demonstration)
**[[Dongdaemun Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}} – football preliminaries
**[[Hwarang Archery Field]]{{ref label|E|E}}, Nowon District – archery
**[[Taenung International Shooting Range]]{{ref label|E|E}}, Taenung – modern pentathlon (shooting), shooting
**Streets of Seoul – athletics (20&nbsp;km/ 50&nbsp;km walk, marathon)
**[[Jangchung Gymnasium]] – taekwondo (demonstration), judo
*Venues outside Seoul
**[[Sangmu Gymnasium]]{{ref label|N|N}}, [[Seongnam]] – wrestling
**[[Daejeon Hanbat Stadium|Daejeon Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}}, [[Daejeon]] – football preliminaries
**[[Daegu Civil Stadium|Daegu Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}}, [[Daegu]] – football preliminaries
**[[Busan Gudeok Stadium|Busan Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}}, [[Busan]] – football preliminaries
**[[Gwangju Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}}, [[Gwangju]] – football preliminaries
**[[Suwon Gymnasium]]{{ref label|N|N}}, [[Suwon]] – handball
**[[Seongnam 1 Stadium|Seongnam Stadium]]{{ref label|E|E}}, [[Seongnam]] – field hockey
**[[Busan Yachting Center]]{{ref label|N|N}}, [[Busan]] – sailing
**[[Tongillo Road Course]] – cycling (individual road race, road team time trial)

<span style="font-size:90%">
{{note label|E|E}} Existing facilities modified or refurbished in preparation for the Olympic Games.<br />
{{note label|N|N}} New facilities constructed in preparation for the Olympic Games.
</span>

==Cost==
According to ''The Oxford Olympics Study'' data is not available to establish the cost of the Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{Cite book|ssrn=2804554|title=The Oxford Olympics Study 2016: Cost and Cost Overrun at the Games|last1=Flyvbjerg|first1=Bent|last2=Stewart|first2=Allison|last3=Budzier|first3=Alexander|publisher=Saïd Business School Working Papers (Oxford: University of Oxford)|year=2016|location=Oxford|pages=9–13}}</ref> The cost of the stadium was 491 billion won, approximately US$354 million.

==Sports==
{{Cleanup|date=August 2023|reason=Unusual bullet point format|section}}
The 1988 Summer Olympics featured 23 different sports encompassing 31 disciplines, and medals were awarded in 237 events. In the list below, the number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses.
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*Aquatics
**{{GamesSport|Diving|Events=4|Format=d}}
**{{GamesSport|Swimming|Events=31|Format=d}}
**{{GamesSport|Synchronized swimming|Events=2|Format=d}}
**{{GamesSport|Water polo|Events=1|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Archery|Events=4|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Athletics|Events=42|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Basketball|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Boxing|Events=12|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Canoeing|Events=12|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Cycling|Format=d}}
**Road <small>(3)</small>
**Track <small>(6)</small>
*{{GamesSport|Equestrian|Format=d}}
**Dressage <small>(2)</small>
**Eventing <small>(2)</small>
**Show jumping <small>(2)</small>
*{{GamesSport|Fencing|Events=8|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Field hockey|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Football|Events=1|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Gymnastics|Format=d}}
**Artistic <small>(14)</small>
**Rhythmic <small>(1)</small>
*{{GamesSport|Handball|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Judo|Events=7|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Modern pentathlon|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Rowing|Events=14|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Sailing|Events=8|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Shooting|Events=13|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Table tennis|Events=4|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Tennis|Events=4|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Volleyball|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Weightlifting|Events=10|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Wrestling|Format=d}}
**Freestyle <small>(10)</small>
**Greco-Roman <small>(10)</small>
{{div col end}}
[[File:Erich Buljung.JPEG|thumb|150px|right|[[Erich Buljung]] shows a silver medal he won in the [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 10 metre air pistol|10m air pistol competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics.]]]]

===Demonstration===
* {{GamesSport|Baseball}}
* Women's {{GamesSport|Judo}}
* {{GamesSport|Taekwondo}}<ref name="SEOUL 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad"/>

===Exhibition===
Badminton and bowling were held as exhibition sports, which did not require IOC approval and were not part of the official Olympic schedule.<ref name="1984 Report">{{cite web | title=Competition Management by Sport | website=library.la84.org | date=2018-07-25 | url=http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/1988v1p2.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007205113/http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/1988v1p2.pdf | archive-date=2018-10-07 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2024-01-27 | page=362}}</ref>
* {{GamesSport|Badminton}}
* {{GamesSport|Bowling}}

==Calendar==
:''All times are local [[Time in South Korea|KST]] ([[UTC+10]])''
Note: between May 8 and October 9, 1988, all the clocks in the country were advanced by one hour as a test of the possibility of adopting the daylight summer time in the country in the future. This advance also enabled the development of a sports calendar in which the main events were scheduled to be broadcast in major Western markets in television prime time.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; position:relative;"
|-
|  style="background:#0c3; text-align:center;"|&nbsp;●&nbsp;||Opening ceremony||  style="background:#39f; text-align:center;"|&nbsp; &nbsp;||Event competitions ||  style="background:#fc0; text-align:center;"|&nbsp;●&nbsp;||Event finals || style="background:#e33;"|&nbsp;●&nbsp;||Closing ceremony
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; line-height:1.25em;"
|-
!rowspan=2|Date
!colspan=14|September
!colspan=2|October
|-
!17th<br />Sat!!18th<br />Sun!!19th<br />Mon!!20th<br />Tue!!21st<br />Wed!!22nd<br />Thu!!23rd<br />Fri!!24th<br />Sat!!25th<br />Sun!!26th<br />Mon!!27th<br />Tue!!28th<br />Wed!!29th<br />Thu!!30th<br />Fri!!1st<br />Sat!!2nd<br />Sun
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Archery at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Archery]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Archery at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's individual|●]] [[Archery at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's individual|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Archery at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's team|●]] [[Archery at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's team|●]]
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Athletics]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 20 kilometres walk|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's shot put|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's marathon|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's triple jump|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's heptathlon|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres hurdles|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's javelin throw|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 3000 metres|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's long jump|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's hammer throw|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|●]]</span>
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metres hurdles|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's decathlon|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's long jump|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's discus throw|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 kilometres walk|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 10,000 metres|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres hurdles|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's high jump|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's discus throw|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 1500 metres|●]]<br />[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay|●]] [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's shot put|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|●]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Basketball]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Women's Tournament|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Men's Tournament|●]]
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Boxing]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Light Flyweight (– 48&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Bantamweight (– 54&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Lightweight (– 60&nbsp;kg)|●]]<br />[[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Welterweight (– 67&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Middleweight (– 75&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Heavyweight (– 91&nbsp;kg)|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Flyweight (– 51&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Featherweight (– 57&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Light Welterweight (– 63.5&nbsp;kg)|●]]<br />[[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Light Middleweight (– 71&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Light Heavyweight (– 81&nbsp;kg)|●]] [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Super Heavyweight (+ 91&nbsp;kg)|●]]</span>
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Canoeing]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's K-1 500 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's K-2 500 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's K-1 500 metres|●]]<br />[[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's K-2 500 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's C-1 500 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's C-2 500 metres|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's K-1 1000 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's K-2 1000 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's K-4 1000 metres|●]]<br />[[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's K-4 500 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's C-1 1000 metres|●]] [[Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's C-2 1000 metres|●]]</span>
| 
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Cycling]]
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's team time trial|●]]
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's time trial|●]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's individual pursuit|●]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's individual sprint|●]] [[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's team pursuit|●]]<br />[[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's points race|●]] [[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's individual sprint|●]]</span>
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's road race|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's individual road race|●]]
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Diving at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Diving]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"| [[Diving at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 10 metre platform|●]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"| [[Diving at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 3 metre springboard|●]]
|
|
| 
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"| [[Diving at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 3 metre springboard|●]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"| [[Diving at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 10 metre platform|●]]
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Equestrian at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Equestrian]]
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Equestrian at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Individual eventing|●]] [[Equestrian at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Team eventing|●]]
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Equestrian at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Team dressage|●]]
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Equestrian at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Individual dressage|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Equestrian at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Team jumping|●]]
|
|
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Equestrian at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Individual jumping|●]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Fencing]]
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's foil|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's foil|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's épée|●]]
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's team foil|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's team foil|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's team sabre|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Fencing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's team épée|●]]
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Field hockey at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Field hockey]]
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Field hockey at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Field hockey at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|●]]
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Football (soccer)]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics|●]]
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Gymnastics]]
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's artistic team all-around|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's artistic team all-around|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's artistic individual all-around|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's artistic individual all-around|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's floor|●]] [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's vault|●]] [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's parallel bars|●]]<br />[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's horizontal bar|●]] [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's rings|●]] [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's pommel horse|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's floor|●]] [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's vault|●]]<br />[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's uneven bars|●]] [[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's balance beam|●]]</span>
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's rhythmic individual all-around|●]]
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Handball at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Handball]]
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Handball at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Women's Tournament|●]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Handball at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Men's Tournament|●]]
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Judo]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 60 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 65 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 71 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 78 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 86 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 95 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's +95 kg|●]]
| 
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Modern pentathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Modern pentathlon]]
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Modern pentathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Individual|●]] [[Modern pentathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics#Team|●]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Rowing]]
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's single sculls|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's double sculls|●]]<br />[[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's coxless pair|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed four|●]]<br />[[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's double sculls|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's coxless pair|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's coxed four|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed pair|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's quadruple sculls|●]]<br />[[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's coxless four|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's eight|●]]<br />[[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's single sculls|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's quadruple sculls|●]] [[Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's eight|●]]</span>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Sailing]]
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – 470 Male|●]] [[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – 470 Female|●]] [[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Division II|●]] [[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Finn|●]]<br />[[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Star|●]] [[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Tornado|●]] [[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Soling|●]] [[Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Flying Dutchman|●]]</span>
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Shooting]]
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre pistol|●]] [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 10 metre air rifle|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre rifle prone|●]] [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 25 metre pistol|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 10 metre air rifle|●]] [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Trap|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 10 metre air pistol|●]] [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 50 metre rifle three positions|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre rifle three positions|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol|●]] [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre running target|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 10 metre air pistol|●]] [[Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Skeet|●]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Swimming]]
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre breaststroke|●]]<br />[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre individual medley|●]]</span>
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|●]]<br />[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre breaststroke|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre backstroke|●]]<br />[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre backstroke|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|●]]<br />[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre breaststroke|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre butterfly|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre backstroke|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|●]]<br />[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre individual medley|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|●]]<br />[[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 50 metre freestyle|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre backstroke|●]] [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre butterfly|●]]</span>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Synchronized swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Synchronized swimming]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Synchronised swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's solo|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Synchronized swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's duet|●]]
| 
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Table tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Table tennis]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Table tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's doubles|●]] [[Table tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's doubles|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Table tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's singles|●]] [[Table tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's singles|●]]
| 
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Tennis]]
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Singles|●]] [[Tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's Doubles|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Doubles|●]] [[Tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's Singles|●]]
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Volleyball at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Volleyball]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Volleyball at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's volleyball|●]]
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Volleyball at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|●]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Water polo at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Water polo]]
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Water polo at the 1988 Summer Olympics|●]]
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting]]
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 52 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 56 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 60 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 67.5 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 75 kg|●]]
| 
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 82.5 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 90 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 kg|●]]
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 kg|●]]
|
| style="background:#fc0;"|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's +110 kg|●]]
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Wrestling]]
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 48 kg|●]]<br />[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 62 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 90 kg|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 52 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 74 kg|●]]<br />[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 100 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 57 kg|●]]<br />[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 68 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman 82 kg|●]]</span>
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#39f;"|
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 48 kg|●]]<br />[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 62 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 90 kg|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 52 kg|●]]<br />[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 74 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg|●]]</span>
| style="background:#fc0;"|<span style="line-height:0.7em;">[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 57 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 68 kg|●]]<br />[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 82 kg|●]] [[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 130 kg|●]]</span>
|
|-
! Total gold medals !! !! 5 !! 7 !! 9 !! 14 !! 17 !! 12 !! 30 !! 26 !! 9 !! 15 !! 9 !! 11 !! 36 !! 37 !! 9
|-
| Ceremonies ||  style="background:#0c3; text-align:center;"|[[1988 Summer Olympics opening ceremony|●]]|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||  style="background:#e33; text-align:center;"|[[1988 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|●]]
|-
!rowspan=2|Date
!17th<br />Sat!!18th<br />Sun!!19th<br />Mon!!20th<br />Tue!!21st<br />Wed!!22nd<br />Thu!!23rd<br />Fri!!24th<br />Sat!!25th<br />Sun!!26th<br />Mon!!27th<br />Tue!!28th<br />Wed!!29th<br />Thu!!30th<br />Fri!!1st<br />Sat!!2nd<br />Sun
|-
!colspan=14|September
!colspan=2|October
|}
{{notelist}}

==Participating National Olympic Committees==
[[File:1988 Summer Olympic games countries.png|thumb|Participants (blue nations had their first entrance)]]
[[File:1988 Summer olympics team numbers.gif|thumb|Number of athletes sent by each nation]]
Athletes from 160 nations competed at the Seoul Games. [[Aruba]], [[American Samoa]], [[Brunei]], [[Cook Islands]], [[Maldives]], [[Vanuatu]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]], and [[People's Democratic Republic of Yemen|South Yemen]] made their first Olympic appearance at these Games. [[Guam]] made their first Summer Olympic appearance at these games having participated in the [[1988 Winter Olympics]] in Calgary.

In the following list, the number in parentheses indicates the number of athletes from each nation that competed in Seoul:<ref name="Olympic Games Participating Countries - 1988 Seoul">{{cite web
 |title       = Olympic Games Participating Countries – 1988 Seoul
 |url         = http://olympic-museum.de/part_count/1988.htm
 |work        = olympic-museum.de
 |access-date  = 7 October 2007
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012133414/http://olympic-museum.de/part_count/1988.htm
 |archive-date = 12 October 2007
|df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="margin:1em auto; width:100%;"
|-
! Participating [[:Category:Nations at the 1988 Summer Olympics|National Olympic Committees]]
|-
|
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* {{flagIOC|AFG|1988 Summer|5}}
* {{flagIOC|ALG|1988 Summer|42}}
* {{flagIOC|ASA|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|AND|1988 Summer|3}}
* {{flagIOC|ANG|1988 Summer|24}}
* {{flagIOC|ANT|1988 Summer|15}}
* {{flagIOC|ARG|1988 Summer|118}}
* {{flagIOC|ARU|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|AUS|1988 Summer|252}}
* {{flagIOC|AUT|1988 Summer|73}}
* {{flagIOC|BAH|1988 Summer|16}}
* {{flagIOC|BRN|1988 Summer|7}}
* {{flagIOC|BAN|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|BAR|1988 Summer|17}}
* {{flagIOC|BEL|1988 Summer|59}}
* {{flagIOC|BIZ|1988 Summer|10}}
* {{flagIOC|BEN|1988 Summer|7}}
* {{flagIOC|BER|1988 Summer|12}}
* {{flagIOC|BHU|1988 Summer|3}}
* {{flagIOC|BOL|1988 Summer|7}}
* {{flagIOC|BOT|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|BRA|1988 Summer|160}}
* {{flagIOC|IVB|1988 Summer|3}}
* {{flagIOC|BUL|1988 Summer|172}}
* {{flagIOC|BUR|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|BRU|1988 Summer|0}}{{cref|Note}}
* {{flagIOC|BIR|1988 Summer|2}}
* {{flagIOC|CMR|1988 Summer|15}}
* {{flagIOC|CAN|1988 Summer|328}}
* {{flagIOC|CAY|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|CAF|1988 Summer|15}}
* {{flagIOC|CHA|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|CHI|1988 Summer|17}}
* {{flagIOC|CHN|1988 Summer|273}}
* {{flagIOC|COL|1988 Summer|40}}
* {{flagIOC|CGO|1988 Summer|7}}
* {{flagIOC|COK|1988 Summer|7}}
* {{flagIOC|CRC|1988 Summer|16}}
* {{flagIOC|CYP|1988 Summer|9}}
* {{flagIOC|TCH|1988 Summer|163}}
* {{flagIOC|DEN|1988 Summer|78}}
* {{flagIOC|DJI|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|DOM|1988 Summer|16}}
* {{flagIOC|ECU|1988 Summer|13}}
* {{flagIOC|EGY|1988 Summer|49}}
* {{flagIOC|ESA|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|GEQ|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|FIJ|1988 Summer|23}}
* {{flagIOC|FIN|1988 Summer|78}}
* {{flagIOC|FRA|1988 Summer|266}}
* {{flagIOC|GAB|1988 Summer|2}}
* {{flagIOC|GAM|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|GDR|1988 Summer|259}}
* {{flagIOC|FRG|1988 Summer|347}}
* {{flagIOC|GHA|1988 Summer|16}}
* {{flagIOC|GBR|1988 Summer|345}}
* {{flagIOC|GRE|1988 Summer|56}}
* {{flagIOC|GRN|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|GUM|1988 Summer|19}}
* {{flagIOC|GUA|1988 Summer|28}}
* {{flagIOC|GUI|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|GUY|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|HAI|1988 Summer|4}}
* {{flagIOC|HON|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|HKG|1988 Summer|48}}
* {{flagIOC|HUN|1988 Summer|188}}
* {{flagIOC|ISL|1988 Summer|32}}
* {{flagIOC|IND|1988 Summer|46}}
* {{flagIOC|INA|1988 Summer|29}}
* {{flagIOC|IRI|1988 Summer|23}}
* {{flagIOC|IRQ|1988 Summer|27}}
* {{flagIOC|IRL|1988 Summer|61}}
* {{flagIOC|ISR|1988 Summer|18}}
* {{flagIOC|ITA|1988 Summer|253}}
* {{flagIOC|CIV|1988 Summer|28}}
* {{flagIOC|JAM|1988 Summer|35}}
* {{flagIOC|JPN|1988 Summer|255}}
* {{flagIOC|JOR|1988 Summer|7}}
* {{flagIOC|KEN|1988 Summer|74}}
* {{flagIOC|KOR|1988 Summer|401}} '''(host)'''
* {{flagIOC|KUW|1988 Summer|25}}
* {{flagIOC|LAO|1988 Summer|3}}
* {{flagIOC|LIB|1988 Summer|21}}
* {{flagIOC|LES|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|LBR|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|LBA|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|LIE|1988 Summer|12}}
* {{flagIOC|LUX|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|MAW|1988 Summer|16}}
* {{flagIOC|MAS|1988 Summer|9}}
* {{flagIOC|MDV|1988 Summer|7}}
* {{flagIOC|MLI|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|MLT|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|MTN|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|MRI|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|MEX|1988 Summer|83}}
* {{flagIOC|MON|1988 Summer|9}}
* {{flagIOC|MGL|1988 Summer|28}}
* {{flagIOC|MAR|1988 Summer|27}}
* {{flagIOC|MOZ|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|NEP|1988 Summer|16}}
* {{flagIOC|NED|1988 Summer|147}}
* {{flagIOC|AHO|1988 Summer|3}}
* {{flagIOC|NZL|1988 Summer|83}}
* {{flagIOC|NIG|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|NGR|1988 Summer|69}}
* {{flagIOC|NOR|1988 Summer|69}}
* {{flagIOC|OMA|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|PAK|1988 Summer|30}}
* {{flagIOC|PAN|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|PNG|1988 Summer|11}}
* {{flagIOC|PAR|1988 Summer|10}}
* {{flagIOC|PER|1988 Summer|21}}
* {{flagIOC|PHI|1988 Summer|31}}
* {{flagIOC|POL|1988 Summer|143}}
* {{flagIOC|POR|1988 Summer|65}}
* {{flagIOC|PUR|1988 Summer|47}}
* {{flagIOC|QAT|1988 Summer|10}}
* {{flagIOC|ROM|1988 Summer|68}}
* {{flagIOC|RWA|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|VIN|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|SMR|1988 Summer|11}}
* {{flagIOC|KSA|1988 Summer|9}}
* {{flagIOC|SEN|1988 Summer|23}}
* {{flagIOC|SLE|1988 Summer|12}}
* {{flagIOC|SIN|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|SOL|1988 Summer|4}}
* {{flagIOC|SOM|1988 Summer|5}}
* {{flagIOC|URS|1988 Summer|481}}
* {{flagIOC|ESP|1988 Summer|229}}
* {{flagIOC|SRI|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|SUD|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|SUR|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|SWZ|1988 Summer|11}}
* {{flagIOC|SWE|1988 Summer|184}}
* {{flagIOC|SUI|1988 Summer|99}}
* {{flagIOC|SYR|1988 Summer|13}}
* {{flagIOC|TPE|1988 Summer|61}}
* {{flagIOC|TAN|1988 Summer|10}}
* {{flagIOC|THA|1988 Summer|14}}
* {{flagIOC|TOG|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|TGA|1988 Summer|5}}
* {{flagIOC|TRI|1988 Summer|6}}
* {{flagIOC|TUN|1988 Summer|41}}
* {{flagIOC|TUR|1988 Summer|41}}
* {{flagIOC|UGA|1988 Summer|24}}
* {{flagIOC|UAE|1988 Summer|12}}
* {{flagIOC|USA|1988 Summer|527}}
* {{flagIOC|URU|1988 Summer|15}}
* {{flagIOC|VAN|1988 Summer|4}}
* {{flagIOC|VEN|1988 Summer|17}}
* {{flagIOC|VIE|1988 Summer|9}}
* {{flagIOC|ISV|1988 Summer|22}}
* {{flagIOC|WSM|1988 Summer|11}}
* {{flagIOC|YAR|1988 Summer|8}}
* {{flagIOC|YMD|1988 Summer|5}}
* {{flagIOC|YUG|1988 Summer|155}}
* {{flagIOC|ZAI|1988 Summer|15}}
* {{flagIOC|ZAM|1988 Summer|29}}
* {{flagIOC|ZIM|1988 Summer|29}}
{{div col end}}
{{cnote|Note|Brunei participated in the Opening Ceremonies and Closing Ceremonies, marking its first appearance at the Olympic Games, but its delegation consisted of only one swimming official.}}
|}
* When the team from the Dominican Republic marched in during the Parade of Nations, the superimposed map erroneously showed the location of [[Cuba]], a nation that did not take part at the Games.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Lee Junewoo |date=14 January 2014 |title=[1/3] Opening Ceremony – 1988 Seoul Olympic Games |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfIFiyLswLE |access-date=25 October 2016 |time=38:15 }}</ref>

=== Number of athletes by National Olympic Committee ===
8,453 [[athlete]]s from 159 [[National Olympic Committee|NOCs]]
{{sticky table start}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-table-head"
|- 
! [[List of IOC country codes|IOC Letter Code]]
! Country
! Athletes
|-
| AFG || {{flagIOC|AFG|1988 Summer}} || 5
|-
| ALG || {{flagIOC|ALG|1988 Summer}} || 42
|-
| ASA || {{flagIOC|ASA|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| AND || {{flagIOC|AND|1988 Summer}} || 3
|-
| ANG || {{flagIOC|ANG|1988 Summer}} || 24
|-
| ANT || {{flagIOC|ANT|1988 Summer}} || 15
|-
| ARG || {{flagIOC|ARG|1988 Summer}} || 118
|-
| ARU || {{flagIOC|ARU|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| AUS || {{flagIOC|AUS|1988 Summer}} || 252
|-
| AUT || {{flagIOC|AUT|1988 Summer}} || 73
|-
| BAH || {{flagIOC|BAH|1988 Summer}} || 16
|-
| BRN || {{flagIOC|BRN|1988 Summer}} || 7
|-
| BAN || {{flagIOC|BAN|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| BAR || {{flagIOC|BAR|1988 Summer}} || 17
|-
| BEL || {{flagIOC|BEL|1988 Summer}} || 59
|-
| BIZ || {{flagIOC|BIZ|1988 Summer}} || 10
|-
| BEN || {{flagIOC|BEN|1988 Summer}} || 7
|-
| BER || {{flagIOC|BER|1988 Summer}} || 12
|-
| BHU || {{flagIOC|BHU|1988 Summer}} || 3
|-
| BOL || {{flagIOC|BOL|1988 Summer}} || 7
|-
| BOT || {{flagIOC|BOT|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| BRA || {{flagIOC|BRA|1988 Summer}} || 160
|-
| IVB || {{flagIOC|IVB|1988 Summer}} || 3
|-
| BUL || {{flagIOC|BUL|1988 Summer}} || 172
|-
| BUR || {{flagIOC|BUR|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| BRU || {{flagIOC|BRU|1988 Summer}}{{cref|Note}} || 0
|-
| BIR || {{flagIOC|BIR|1988 Summer}} || 2
|-
| CMR || {{flagIOC|CMR|1988 Summer}} || 15
|-
| CAN || {{flagIOC|CAN|1988 Summer}} || 328
|-
| CAY || {{flagIOC|CAY|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| CAF || {{flagIOC|CAF|1988 Summer}} || 15
|-
| CHA || {{flagIOC|CHA|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| CHI || {{flagIOC|CHI|1988 Summer}} || 17
|-
| CHN || {{flagIOC|CHN|1988 Summer}} || 273
|-
| COL || {{flagIOC|COL|1988 Summer}} || 40
|-
| CGO || {{flagIOC|CGO|1988 Summer}} || 7
|-
| COK || {{flagIOC|COK|1988 Summer}} || 7
|-
| CRC || {{flagIOC|CRC|1988 Summer}} || 16
|-
| CYP || {{flagIOC|CYP|1988 Summer}} || 9
|-
| TCH || {{flagIOC|TCH|1988 Summer}} || 163
|-
| DEN || {{flagIOC|DEN|1988 Summer}} || 78
|-
| DJI || {{flagIOC|DJI|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| DOM || {{flagIOC|DOM|1988 Summer}} || 16
|-
| ECU || {{flagIOC|ECU|1988 Summer}} || 13
|-
| EGY || {{flagIOC|EGY|1988 Summer}} || 49
|-
| ESA || {{flagIOC|ESA|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| GEQ || {{flagIOC|GEQ|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| FIJ || {{flagIOC|FIJ|1988 Summer}} || 23
|-
| FIN || {{flagIOC|FIN|1988 Summer}} || 78
|-
| FRA || {{flagIOC|FRA|1988 Summer}} || 266
|-
| GAB || {{flagIOC|GAB|1988 Summer}} || 2
|-
| GAM || {{flagIOC|GAM|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| GDR || {{flagIOC|GDR|1988 Summer}} || 259
|-
| FRG || {{flagIOC|FRG|1988 Summer}} || 347
|-
| PLE || {{flagIOC|GHA|1988 Summer}} || 16
|-
| GBR || {{flagIOC|GBR|1988 Summer}} || 345
|-
| GRE || {{flagIOC|GRE|1988 Summer}} || 56
|-
| GRN || {{flagIOC|GRN|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| GUM || {{flagIOC|GUM|1988 Summer}} || 19
|-
| GUA || {{flagIOC|GUA|1988 Summer}} || 28
|-
| GUI || {{flagIOC|GUI|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| GUY || {{flagIOC|GUY|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| HAI || {{flagIOC|HAI|1988 Summer}} || 4
|-
| HON || {{flagIOC|HON|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| HKG || {{flagIOC|HKG|1988 Summer}} || 48
|-
| HUN || {{flagIOC|HUN|1988 Summer}} || 188
|-
| ISL || {{flagIOC|ISL|1988 Summer}} || 32
|-
| IND || {{flagIOC|IND|1988 Summer}} || 46
|-
| INA || {{flagIOC|INA|1988 Summer}} || 29
|-
| IRN || {{flagIOC|IRI|1988 Summer}} || 23
|-
| IRQ || {{flagIOC|IRQ|1988 Summer}} || 27
|-
| IRL || {{flagIOC|IRL|1988 Summer}} || 61
|-
| ISR || {{flagIOC|ISR|1988 Summer}} || 18
|-
| ITA || {{flagIOC|ITA|1988 Summer}} || 253
|-
| CIV || {{flagIOC|CIV|1988 Summer}} || 28
|-
| JAM || {{flagIOC|JAM|1988 Summer}} || 35
|-
| JPN || {{flagIOC|JPN|1988 Summer}} || 255
|-
| JOR || {{flagIOC|JOR|1988 Summer}} || 7
|-
| KEN || {{flagIOC|KEN|1988 Summer}} || 74
|-
| KOR || {{flagIOC|KOR|1988 Summer}} || 401
|-
| KUW || {{flagIOC|KUW|1988 Summer}} || 25
|-
| LAO || {{flagIOC|LAO|1988 Summer}} || 3
|-
| LIB || {{flagIOC|LIB|1988 Summer}} || 21
|-
| LES || {{flagIOC|LES|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| LBR || {{flagIOC|LBR|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| LBA || {{flagIOC|LBA|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| LIE || {{flagIOC|LIE|1988 Summer}} || 12
|-
| LUX || {{flagIOC|LUX|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| MAW || {{flagIOC|MAW|1988 Summer}} || 16
|-
| MAS || {{flagIOC|MAS|1988 Summer}} || 9
|-
| MDV || {{flagIOC|MDV|1988 Summer}} || 7
|-
| MLI || {{flagIOC|MLI|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| MLT || {{flagIOC|MLT|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| MTN || {{flagIOC|MTN|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| MRI || {{flagIOC|MRI|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| MEX || {{flagIOC|MEX|1988 Summer}} || 83
|-
| MON || {{flagIOC|MON|1988 Summer}} || 9
|-
| MGL || {{flagIOC|MGL|1988 Summer}} || 28
|-
| MAR || {{flagIOC|MAR|1988 Summer}} || 27
|-
| MOZ || {{flagIOC|MOZ|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| NEP || {{flagIOC|NEP|1988 Summer}} || 16
|-
| HOL || {{flagIOC|NED|1988 Summer}} || 147
|-
| AHO || {{flagIOC|AHO|1988 Summer}} || 3
|-
| NZL || {{flagIOC|NZL|1988 Summer}} || 83
|-
| NIG || {{flagIOC|NIG|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| NGR || {{flagIOC|NGR|1988 Summer}} || 69
|-
| NOR || {{flagIOC|NOR|1988 Summer}} || 69
|-
| OMA || {{flagIOC|OMA|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| PAK || {{flagIOC|PAK|1988 Summer}} || 30
|-
| PAN || {{flagIOC|PAN|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| NGU || {{flagIOC|PNG|1988 Summer}} || 11
|-
| PAR || {{flagIOC|PAR|1988 Summer}} || 10
|-
| PER || {{flagIOC|PER|1988 Summer}} || 21
|-
| PHI || {{flagIOC|PHI|1988 Summer}} || 31
|-
| POL || {{flagIOC|POL|1988 Summer}} || 143
|-
| POR || {{flagIOC|POR|1988 Summer}} || 65
|-
| PUR || {{flagIOC|PUR|1988 Summer}} || 47
|-
| QAT || {{flagIOC|QAT|1988 Summer}} || 10
|-
| ROM || {{flagIOC|ROM|1988 Summer}} || 68
|-
| RWA || {{flagIOC|RWA|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| VIN || {{flagIOC|VIN|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| SMR || {{flagIOC|SMR|1988 Summer}} || 11
|-
| KSA || {{flagIOC|KSA|1988 Summer}} || 9
|-
| SEN || {{flagIOC|SEN|1988 Summer}} || 23
|-
| SLE || {{flagIOC|SLE|1988 Summer}} || 12
|-
| SIN || {{flagIOC|SIN|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| SOL || {{flagIOC|SOL|1988 Summer}} || 4
|-
| SOM || {{flagIOC|SOM|1988 Summer}} || 5
|-
| URS || {{flagIOC|URS|1988 Summer}} || 481
|-
| ESP || {{flagIOC|ESP|1988 Summer}} || 229
|-
| SRI || {{flagIOC|SRI|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| SUD || {{flagIOC|SUD|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| SUR || {{flagIOC|SUR|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| SWZ || {{flagIOC|SWZ|1988 Summer}} || 11
|-
| SWE || {{flagIOC|SWE|1988 Summer}} || 184
|-
| SUI || {{flagIOC|SUI|1988 Summer}} || 99
|-
| SYR || {{flagIOC|SYR|1988 Summer}} || 13
|-
| TPE || {{flagIOC|TPE|1988 Summer}} || 61
|-
| TAN || {{flagIOC|TAN|1988 Summer}} || 10
|-
| THA || {{flagIOC|THA|1988 Summer}} || 14
|-
| TOG || {{flagIOC|TOG|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| TGA || {{flagIOC|TGA|1988 Summer}} || 5
|-
| TRI || {{flagIOC|TRI|1988 Summer}} || 6
|-
| TUN || {{flagIOC|TUN|1988 Summer}} || 41
|-
| TUR || {{flagIOC|TUR|1988 Summer}} || 41
|-
| UGA || {{flagIOC|UGA|1988 Summer}} || 24
|-
| UAE || {{flagIOC|UAE|1988 Summer}} || 12
|-
| USA || {{flagIOC|USA|1988 Summer}} || 527
|-
| URU || {{flagIOC|URU|1988 Summer}} || 15
|-
| VAN || {{flagIOC|VAN|1988 Summer}} || 4
|-
| VEN || {{flagIOC|VEN|1988 Summer}} || 17
|-
| VIE || {{flagIOC|VIE|1988 Summer}} || 9
|-
| ISV || {{flagIOC|ISV|1988 Summer}} || 22
|-
| WSM || {{flagIOC|WSM|1988 Summer}} || 11
|-
| YAR || {{flagIOC|YAR|1988 Summer}} || 8
|-
| YMD || {{flagIOC|YMD|1988 Summer}} || 5
|-
| YUG || {{flagIOC|YUG|1988 Summer}} || 155
|-
| ZAI || {{flagIOC|ZAI|1988 Summer}} || 15
|-
| ZAM || {{flagIOC|ZAM|1988 Summer}} || 29
|-
| ZIM || {{flagIOC|ZIM|1988 Summer}} || 29
|}
{{sticky table end}}

==Medal table==
[[File:Seoul 88 olympic gold medal.jpg|thumb|Gold medal of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul]]
{{Main|1988 Summer Olympics medal table}}
These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1988 Games.
{{:1988 Summer Olympics medal table}}

==Mascot==

The official mascot for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games was [[Hodori]]. It was a stylized tiger designed by Kim Hyun as an amicable [[Siberian tiger|Amur tiger]], portraying the friendly and hospitable traditions of the [[Korean people]].<ref name="Hodori - mascot of the 1988 Olympic Summer Games">{{cite web
 |title       = Hodori – mascot of the 1988 Olympic Summer Games
 |url         = http://en.beijing2008.com/07/74/article211987407.shtml
 |work        = beijing2008.com
 |access-date  = 8 October 2007
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011224332/http://en.beijing2008.com/07/74/article211987407.shtml
 |archive-date = 11 October 2007
|url-status     = dead
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> Hodori's female version was called [[Hosuni]].<ref name="Seoul 1988 - Hodori and Hosuni">{{cite web
| title = Seoul 1988 – Hodori and Hosuni
|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/2008/2006-08/25/content_674011.htm
|work=[[China Daily|www.chinadaily.com.cn]]
| access-date =8 October 2007 }}</ref>

The name {{lang|ko|호돌이}} ''Hodori'' was chosen from 2,295 suggestions sent in by the public. It is a [[compound (linguistics)|compound]] of {{lang|ko|호}} ''ho'', the [[Sino-Korean vocabulary|Sino-Korean]] [[bound morpheme]] for "tiger" (appearing also in the usual word {{lang|ko|호랑이}} ''horangi'' for "tiger"), and {{lang|ko|돌이}} ''dori'', a diminutive for "boys".<ref name="Hodori - mascot of the 1988 Olympic Summer Games"/>

==Broadcasting==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2024}}
In the United States, [[NBC Olympic broadcasts|NBC]] became the telecast provider hereafter for the Summer Games, after a five-Olympics run by the [[ABC Olympic broadcasts|American Broadcasting Company]] from 1968 to 1984.

NBC's coverage was their first sporting event to feature the new [[Quantel]] Cypher to generate the on-screen graphics. However, the network would continue to use [[Chyron Corporation]] for the rest of the year with Quantel being used again for the [[1988 World Series]]. The Cypher would be implemented permanently starting with [[Super Bowl XXIII]] in January 1989.

==Doping==
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:98%;"
|-
! style="width:150px;"|Name
! style="width:115px;"|Country
! style="width:115px;"|Sport
! style="width:180px;"|Banned substance
! style="width:180px;"|Medals
! style="width:30px;"|Ref.
|-
|[[Ali Dad]]
|{{flagIOC|AFG|1988 Summer}}
|[[Wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Wrestling]]
|[[Furosemide]]
|
|
|-
|[[Kerrith Brown]]
|{{flagIOC|GBR|1988 Summer}}
|[[Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Judo]]
|[[Furosemide]]
|{{Bronze3}} (71&nbsp;kg)
|<ref name=BrownDQ>[https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1028410/brown-steps-down-as-british-judo-association-chairman-to-become-president-of-ufc-partner-immaf Brown steps down as British Judo Association chairman to become President of UFC partner IMMAF]</ref>
|-
|[[Kalman Csengeri]]
|{{flagIOC|HUN|1988 Summer}}
|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting]]
|[[Stanozolol]]
|
|
|-
|[[Mitko Grablev]]
|{{flagIOC|BUL|1988 Summer}}
|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting]]
|[[Furosemide]]
|{{Gold1}} (56&nbsp;kg)
|
|-
|[[Angell Guenchev]]
|{{flagIOC|BUL|1988 Summer}}
|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting]]
|[[Furosemide]]
|{{Gold1}} (67.5&nbsp;kg)
|
|-
|[[Ben Johnson (Canadian sprinter)|Ben Johnson]]
|{{flagIOC|CAN|1988 Summer}}
|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Athletics]]
|[[Stanozolol]]
|{{Gold1}} (men's 100 m)
|<ref name="Beijing 2015 statistics handbook">{{cite book |last=Butler|first=Mark |date=2015 |title=IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 Statistics Handbook |url=http://iaaf-ebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/2015/Beijing-2015-Statistics-Handbook/index.htm |location=Monaco |publisher=IAAF |chapter=Doping violations Olympic Athletics|pages=419–420}}</ref>
|-
|[[Fernando Mariaca]]
|{{flagIOC|ESP|1988 Summer}}
|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting]]
|[[Pemoline]]
|
|
|-
|[[Jorge Quesada]]
|{{flagIOC|ESP|1988 Summer}}
|[[Modern pentathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Modern pentathlon]]
|[[Propranolol]]
|
|
|-
|[[Andor Szanyi]]
|{{flagIOC|HUN|1988 Summer}}
|[[Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting]]
|[[Stanozolol]]
|{{Silver2}} (100&nbsp;kg)
|
|-
|[[Alex Watson (pentathlete)|Alexander Watson]]
|{{flagIOC|AUS|1988 Summer}}
|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Modern Pentathlon]]
|[[Caffeine]]
|
|
|}

In 2003, Wade Exum, the United States Olympic Committee's director of drug control administration from 1991 to 2000, released documents that showed Carl Lewis had tested [[Use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport|positive]] three times at the 1988 United States Olympic trials for minimum amounts of [[pseudoephedrine]], [[ephedrine]], and [[phenylpropanolamine]], which were banned [[stimulant]]s. [[Bronchodilator]]s are also found in cold medication. Due to the rules, his case could have led to disqualification from the Seoul Olympics and suspension from competition for six months. The levels of the combined stimulants registered in the separate tests were 2 [[Parts-per notation|ppm]], 4 ppm and 6 ppm.<ref name=":0d">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-apr-23-sp-oly23-story.html|title=Just a Dash of Drugs in Lewis, DeLoach|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 23, 2003|author=Abrahamson, Alan|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref> Lewis defended himself, claiming that he had accidentally consumed the banned substances. After the supplements that he had taken were analyzed to prove his claims, the USOC accepted his claim of inadvertent use, since a dietary supplement he ingested was found to contain "Ma huang", the Chinese name for [[Ephedra (plant)|Ephedra]] (ephedrine is known to help weight loss).<ref name=":0d"/> Fellow Santa Monica Track Club teammates Joe DeLoach and Floyd Heard were also found to have the same banned stimulants in their systems, and were cleared to compete for the same reason.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Pete McEntegart|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2003/04/14/341393/scorecard|title=Scorecard|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=April 14, 2003}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/carl-lewiss-positive-test-covered-up-20030418-gdgmdt.html|title=Carl Lewis's positive test covered up|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=April 18, 2003|access-date=October 9, 2019}}</ref> The highest level of the stimulants Lewis recorded was 6 ppm, which was regarded as a positive test in 1988 but is now regarded as negative test. The acceptable level has been raised to ten parts per million for ephedrine and twenty-five parts per million for other substances.<ref name=":0d"/><ref>Wallechinsky and Loucky, The Complete Book of the Olympics (2012 edition), page 61.</ref> According to the IOC rules at the time, positive tests with levels lower than 10 ppm were cause of further investigation but not immediate ban. Neal Benowitz, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco who is an expert on ephedrine and other stimulants, agreed that "These [levels] are what you'd see from someone taking cold or allergy medicines and are unlikely to have any effect on performance."<ref name=":0d"/> Following Exum's revelations the IAAF acknowledged that at the 1988 Olympic Trials the USOC indeed followed the correct procedures in dealing with eight positive findings for ephedrine and ephedrine-related compounds in low concentration. Additionally, in 1988 the federation reviewed the relevant documents with the athletes' names undisclosed and stated that "the medical committee felt satisfied, however, on the basis of the information received that the cases had been properly concluded by the USOC as 'negative cases' in accordance with the rules and regulations in place at the time and no further action was taken".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://157.166.224.103/athletics/news/2003/04/30/iaaf_doping_ap/|title=IAAF: USOC followed rules over dope tests|date=April 30, 2003|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201150836/http://157.166.224.103/athletics/news/2003/04/30/iaaf_doping_ap/ |archive-date=February 1, 2014|df=mdy}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-may-01-sp-oly1-story.html |title=USOC's Actions on Lewis Justified by IAAF |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 1, 2003 |last=Abrahamson |first=Alan}}</ref>

==See also==
{{IOC seealso|games=1988 Summer Olympics}}
*''[[1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time]]''
*[[Use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Olympic Games#1988 Seoul|Use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Olympic Games – 1988 Seoul]]

==References==
{{Clear}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{IOC games|games=1988 Summer Olympics }}
*[http://library.kspo.or.kr:9092/index.do Seoul Olympic Library], full event replays
* [http://www.88olympic.or.kr// 88 Seoul Olympics], Seoul Olympics memorial hall
* {{cite web |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1988/ore252/ORE252h.pdf | title = Olympic Review 1988 – Official results | access-date=22 March 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326105229/http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1988/ore252/ORE252h.pdf| archive-date= 26 March 2009| url-status=live}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080528012838if_/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/1988v1.pdf Official Report Vol. 1]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155747if_/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/1988v2.pdf Official Report Vol. 2]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131108021108/http://imnews.imbc.com/20dbnews/history/1988/09,1,list1,17.html 17 September 1988 Newsdesk broadcasting]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125643/http://imnews.imbc.com/20dbnews/history/1988/10,1,list1,2.html 2 October 1988 Newsdesk broadcasting]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003841/http://www.marcolympics.org/jeux/1988/summer/index.html The program of the 1988 Seoul Olympics]
* {{cite web |url=http://110.45.145.134/10_search/index.asp |publisher=Seoul Olympic Sports Promotion Foundation |title=1988 Seoul Olympic Archive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814204230/http://110.45.145.134/10_search/index.asp |archive-date=14 August 2009 |url-status=dead  }}

{{S-start}}
{{s-sports|soly}}
{{s-bef|before=[[1984 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=XXIV Olympiad<br/>[[Seoul]]|years=1988}}
{{s-aft|after=[[1992 Summer Olympics|Barcelona]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Olympic Games}}
{{NOCin1988SummerOlympics}}
{{EventsAt1988SummerOlympics}}
{{1988 Summer Olympic venues}}
{{Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Special}}
{{TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Olympics|South Korea|Sports|1980s}}
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[[Category:1988 Summer Olympics| ]]
[[Category:1988 in multi-sport events|Olympics]]
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[[Category:1988 in South Korean sport|Olympic Games]]
[[Category:Summer Olympics by year]]
[[Category:1980s in Seoul]]
[[Category:International sports boycotts]]
[[Category:September 1988 sports events in Asia]]
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