Olympics to Remain in S. Korea Despite Violence, IOC Says

The International Olympic Committee said today that violent political demonstrations in South Korea have made “absolutely no change” in its plans to hold the 1988 Games in Seoul.

Michele Verdier, the IOC spokeswoman, said that, barring an act of war, the Olympics next year will remain in the South Korean capital, where they were awarded in 1981.

Protests against the regime of President Chun Doo Hwan have been taking place sporadically for several years, primarily among students on university campuses in Seoul and other South Korean cities.

Last week, after the ruling Democratic Justice Party endorsed Roh Tae Woo to succeed Chun when he steps down next February, the protests spread to middle-class areas of Seoul and into surrounding provinces.

On Tuesday in Washington, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, an undeclared candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidency, said the 1988 Olympics should be moved out of South Korea if political conditions there do not improve.