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That position is not fixed, however. I.O.C. President Juan Antonio Samaranch, with a nod from Seoul organizers, has tendered Pyongyang a small piece of the Olympics action with an offer to have North Korea act as host to table-tennis and soccer competitions (both popular sports in Asia), as well as archery events and the 50-km bicycle race. In return Samaranch has demanded that North Korea open its heavily militarized border to the "Olympic family," including some 7,000 members of the press who are expected to attend the Games. So far, the North has refused the offer, but discussions are expected to continue at an I.O.C. meeting next month.
South Korea fears a Pyongyang boycott because it would increase the chances for violent incidents at the Olympics. Shortly before the start of last year's Asian Games, which North Korea refused to attend, a bomb that authorities believe was the work of North Korean agents exploded at Seoul's Kimpo Airport, killing five people and injuring more than 30. The hope is that if the Soviets and other Communist nations attend the Seoul Games, Pyongyang will avoid causing similar bloody disruptions.
Right now, the most obvious potential for bloodshed involves South Koreans battling South Koreans. But most of the citizenry in that agonized country, from student radicals to conservative businessmen, still believe that South Korea's internal struggles should be suspended for the Games. Precedent gives reason for optimism: although there was serious rioting weeks before the Asian Games began last fall, the few demonstrations planned during the event fizzled, and Koreans united in the effort to produce a spectacular show. Says one antigovernment businessman: "The national honor demands that we fulfill our commitment to the Games. If we do not, our credit will be lost forever." That credit is still far from exhausted. The Games may be tarnished by the ongoing violence, but they are still expected to shine brightly in 1988.