Copyright (c) 1988 Seoul Olympics Radio and Television Organization
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially called the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were celebrated in the South Korean capital of Seoul from 17 September to 2 October 1988. Being the second Summer Olympics to be held in Asia after Tokyo 1964, 159 nations were represented by a total of 8,391 athletes with 237 medal events were held in 23 sports and 31 disciplines. But however, neighbouring North Korea boycotted the event, and was joined by Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua.
Following the previous year's declaration of national democracy, and the holding of free and fair presidential elections in 16 years, this Olympiad provided the impetus for South Korea to embrace democracy while representing a chance for the nation to take a big step forward into the international community.
These Games were held at the time of the so-called 'Miracle on the Han River' - a period that sought South Korea transform itself from one of the poorest countries in the world following the end of the Korean War to an economic power in East Asia, if not, one of the world's richest today.
Copying the exact model from the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, as a rite of passage for the Japanese economy and re-integration of Japan in the family of nations in the post-war era, the South Korean government hoped to use the 1988 Games as a "coming-out party"; the Seoul Olympics gave a powerful impetus to the development of the country's relations with Eastern Europe, the USSR and with China.
