In fact, there are very few major sporting events that South Korea has not hosted. South Korea is arguably Asia’s most enthusiastic host of international sports and has shown a willingness to absorb the heavy financial costs associated with hosting international events. A combination of national pride and a need to show the world that South Korea is a sophisticated and successful country has been the impetus behind the willingness to host. An integral part of Korean culture is to treat guests with great hospitality and South Korea has gained a reputation for creating a fun-filled atmosphere The importance of sport was recognized by key industrial figures prior to the 1988 Olympics. The founder of Hyundai and the chairman of Samsung and Hanjin were proponents of using sport as a means for economic growth. The government has integrated event spending into rational planning resulting in improvements to infrastructure, transport, and …show more content…
The IOC awarded the games to Seoul in 1981. At the time, there was much controversy over the selectivity on many Soviet blue nations did not have diplomatic relations with the Seoul government and there was a widespread concern over another possible boycott North Korea, still at war with South Korea, complained that it should have co-host states. The IOC made some concessions to North Korea but the North Koreans were not satisfied and boycotted the event with several other countries, notably Cuba and Ethiopia. However, the boycott did not have a significant effect. The organizing committee dedicated the games to peace, harmony and progress. The focus was on reconciliation since the Western bloc had boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the Eastern Bloc staged a retaliatory boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. It proved to be the largest games in Olympic History at that time with nearly 8500 athletes from 160 countries, East and West, participating. This was the initial game held since the amateur rule was overturned in