Koreans cannot forget the historic moment when Seoul was chosen as the host city of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games at the IOC Session held in Baden-Baden, Germany on September 30th, 1981. The chances of Seoul winning the host city bid against Nagoya, Japan was not that great, given the country’s economic power at the time. But the Korean people and the government joined hands to provide full support, which worked in Korea’s favor. 

The Seoul Olympic Games were held for 16 days, starting on September 17th, 1988. The opening performances that mixed tradition and modernism and the symbolic performance of a young boy rolling a hoop across the field gained worldwide attention. Also, Koreana’s Olympic theme song Hand in Hand delivered the message of peace to liven up the sports festival’s atmosphere. 

Unlike the 1980 and the 1984 Games which the United States and the Soviet Union respectively boycotted, the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988 set the record for the most number of participating countries. Even Communist nations, except for Cuba and North Korea, took part in the Games. Korea won 33 medals in total, including 12 gold medals, to rank fourth in total medal counts, signaling the country’s rise as a new sports giant. 

Held when the Cold War was about to come to an end, the Seoul Olympic Games is recognized as an event symbolizing the unity of the West and the Eastern bloc. It was an event that broadened Korean people’s perspectives while bringing world’s attention to Korea.