Memorandum of the Meeting between the National Olympic Committees of the Two Koreas and the International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 14-15 July 1987

(stamped confidential)
MEETING BETWEEN DELEGATIONS OF THE NOCS OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA HELD UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE – Lausanne, 14th-15th July 1987
______________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, 14th July 1987

THE PRESIDENT opened the meeting at 10.00 hours, welcoming, on behalf of the IOC, the members of delegations from the NOCs of the Republic of Korea and of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Annex 1) to the fourth meeting of the two Korean National Olympic Committees presided over by the IOC. He introduced the members of the IOC delegation, as follows:

Mr. Berthold BEITZ, 1st Vice-President (Federal Republic of Germany)
The Prince de MERODE, 2nd Vice-President (Belgium)
Mr. Richard POUND, 3rd Vice-President (Canada)
Mr. Raymond GAFNER, Administrateur délégué of the IOC
Mr. Richard Kevan GOSPER, member of the Executive Board (Australia)
Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmad AL-SABAH, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (Koweit).
Mr. Alexandru SIPERCO, IOC Member
Mr François CARRARD, IOC lawyer
Mr. Samuel PISAR, IOC lawyer and adviser
Mr. Howard STUPP, Director Legal Affairs

THE PRESIDENT outlined the programme for the two-day meeting.

THE PRESIDENT stressed that this fourth meeting was vitally important as the opening of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad was in fifteen months’ time.

An agreement was needed with the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as soon as possible. The IOC had clearly decided at the 84th Session in Baden-Baden in 1981 that Seoul was to organize the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad in 1988. No objections had been made until requests had been received from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to share the Games several years after the IOC’s decision. The IOC had granted talks in view of the special situation in the Korean peninsula and had offered conditions under which the participation of the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would be possible. This, one must not forget, was an important, historical offer whereby Pyongyang would stage two full sports and two events.

THE PRESIDENT asked both parties to try their utmost to reach agreement, reminding them that the world outside was watching Lausanne, hoping that, in the name of sport, solutions not normally reached in other areas of life, would be found. The IOC, after certain problems during the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad, wanted the whole of the youth of the world from 167 countries to come together in 1988. Renewing his plea for goodwill on both sides, THE PRESIDENT admitted that, whilst he would be disappointed if no conclusion was reached, he did not expect that the task of comprise would be easy. He reminded delegates that 17th September 1987 was the date for posting the official invitations to the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad. Although no final date had been set, it would be most convenient if delegates could agree on the number of sports and events that the DPR of Korea would organize and, in addition, on matters such as television coverage, a separate organizing committee for the DPR of Korea, the appellation of Games held in the DPR of Korea, the opening and closing ceremonies and participation of sportsmen in both Seoul and Pyongyang.

THE PRESIDENT closed his speech with a plea to both delegations to be sensitive to the responsibilities they shared. An important issue was at stake, of consequence not only to the Olympic Movement and to the Games, but to both the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. THE PRESIDENT invited the President of the NOC of the DPR of Korea to address the assembly.

MR. KIM took the opportunity to express his delegation’s thanks to the President, for the continuing efforts of the IOC to ensure the success of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad. After reviewing the progress of previous talks (Annex 2), he went on to clarify the position of the NOC of the DPR of Korea, which wished to host eight sports, a third of the total, in view of the population distribution between North and South Korea. The NOC of the DPR of Korea was of the opinion that it should have been originally allocated half the total number of sports. However, it was willing to settle for the lower figure of 8 sports in consideration of the positions of the IOC and the NOC of the Republic of Korea, which opposed co-hosting the Games. A proposal had been made whereby the NOC of the DPR of Korea would host all the table tennis and archery events, with partial staging of football and cycling events. This was not acceptable: although the NOC of the DPR of Korea welcomed two full sports, [it] was not satisfied with only two further partial sports. MR. KIM wished the DPR of Korea to be given eight full sports, including football in its entirety. Other questions regarding the appellation of the Games, a separate organizing committee, opening and closing ceremonies, on all of which its position remained unchanged, should equally well be addressed this time. Agreements regarding the cultural programme and the television rights should also be made. Last May, Mr. Siperco and Mr. Coupat had visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and inspected buildings being constructed at first hand. Failure to reach an agreement would mean that all their labour had been in vain and would discourage people in both the DPR of Korea and the Republic of Korea and those countries which wanted co-hosting of the Games. MR. KIM hoped that the NOC of the Republic of Korea would not be intransigeant. It was imperative to extend the limitations of the previous talks by holding bilateral talks between representatives of the NOCs of the Republic of Korea and of the DPR of Korea, in addition to the bilateral talks between each NOC with the IOC. Only two days were available and it was necessary to use this short time to the maximum.

THE PRESIDENT thanked Mr. Kim for his speech. He invited the President of the NOC of the Republic of Korea to reply.

MR. KIM greeted the delegates present at the meeting (Annex 3) and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the President for his continual effort and support for the Games. He had listened to the speech of Mr. Yu Sun Kim and found conditions in it which he had neither understood nor expected. He was anxious about the prospect of successful results but would continue to support the IOC. The talks so far had encountered various problems, but the fact that they had resumed after a break of one full year, was a hopeful sign for the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad, which the NOC of the Republic of Korea hoped would be the most successful Games ever.

The IOC had proposed two full sports and two events at the last meeting. The NOC of the Republic of Korea had found it difficult to acquiesce but had done so out of respect both for the authority of the IOC and the efforts it had made. The acceptance in principle, even if belated, of the proposals by the NOC of the DPR of Korea boded well for these talks. Questions of protocol and technical issues should now be settled, using the IOC proposal as the basis. The participation of the DPR of Korea in the Games of the XXIVth in Seoul would be welcome and general safety guaranteed. The Republic of Korea would send its athletes to the DPR of Korea. No serious difficulty should be met if the meetings between the IOC and the NOCs of KOR and the DPR of Korea were held according to the spirit of the Olympic Charter.

MR. KIM expressed his hope that the IOC proposal could be developed further and in more detail during the tripartite discussions in Lausanne.

THE PRESIDENT read a telex from Mr. Mario Vazquez-Rana, (Annex 4), sending his best wishes for the talks. THE PRESIDENT mentioned that many telexes had been received, including one of support to the IOC from Mr. Primo Niebolo, President of the ASOIF, the previous week, one from the President of the ITTF, Mr. Ogimura, asking both delegations and the IOC to do their utmost in these negotiations to reach a settlement, and one from Mr. Chiharu Igaya, member of the IOC Executive Board and IOC member in Japan.


The dialogue between the IOC and the delegation representing the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea commenced at 11.05 hours.

THE PRESIDENT stated that the IOC had been disappointed during recent months with the reaction of the NOC of the DPR of Korea regarding the possibility of two full sports and two events being staged in the Northern part of the Korean peninsula. He reminded delegates that following the third round of talks held in Lausanne, the NOC of the DPR of Korea had agreed in principle to the IOC’s proposal of the hosting of two full sports (table tennis and archery) and two events (part of the cycle road race and one group of football preliminaries). Thus, the request to organize eight full sports stated at the opening of the meeting was not acceptable. However, should representatives of the NOC be prepared to accept the IOC’s initial proposal, it would be possible to consider some adjustments regarding the events to be staged in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The IOC was fully prepared to examine this question, particularly in the light of difficulties which had arisen with certain International Federations with regard to organizing Olympic competition in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The IOC felt that the NOC had adopted an inflexible position during recent months. It was essential to bear in mind that the IOC had striven to find a solution which was acceptable to the NOC of the DPR of Korea, and to ensure that the DPR of Korea was able to participate in the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad.

THE PRESIDENT stated that the IOC had also been disappointed that the official IOC delegation, made of Messrs. Siperco and Coupat which had visited the DPR of Korea in May 1987, had been refused the authorization to cross the Panmunjom border into the Republic of Korea. The granting of such permission would have been considered a gesture of good-will and an indication of the possibility of compromise between the NOCs of the DPR of Korea and the Republic of Korea in the context of the Olympic Games.

THE PRESIDENT stressed that before any detailed discussions of points raised during the delegation’s visit could take place, it was necessary that representatives accept the proposal advanced by the International Olympic Committee.

MR. KIM was pleased to attend the fourth round of discussions between the IOC and the two Korean NOCs, and stressed the importance of reaching an agreement since time was short before the celebration of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad. The visit paid by Messrs. Siperco and Coupat to the DPR of Korea had been most constructive and had allowed an extensive exchange of views. The report compiled by Mr. Siperco and Mr. Coupat on this visit reflected the position of the NOC of the DPR of Korea and MR. KIM felt that it was therefore not necessary to repeat his NOC’s standpoint.

THE PRESIDENT re-iterated that before discussion could proceed, the agreement of the representatives was required with regard to the organization of two full sports and two events in the DPR of Korea.

MR. KIM underlined that the standpoint of the NOC of the DPR of Korea remained unchanged. The NOC welcomed the possibility of staging two full sports, and also the possibility of modifying the initial proposal relating to two events. However, the NOC felt that two full sports were insufficient, and requested that the number be increased. The representatives from the NOC of the DPR of Korea were disappointed that the IOC espoused the viewpoint of the NOC of the Republic of Korea; it was hoped that the IOC would put forward new, constructive proposals in order that both the DPR of Korea and the Republic of Korea should host events on a fair basis.

THE PRESIDENT emphasized that the proposal made following the third round of talks was put forward by the IOC and not by the NOC of the Republic of Korea. He repeated that the IOC was prepared to undergo further negotiations and to modify the offer of two sports and two events. Moreover, there was a possibility of allocating full sports rather than isolated events, as in the original offer, as it would perhaps be impractical to organize separate events. However, the talks could only continue if the NOC of the DPR of Korea agreed to accept the proposal in principle, and thus a final decision could be made regarding the sports concerned.

MR. CHIN wished to learn the precise nature of the adjustments to the original proposal, as mentioned by the President.

THE PRESIDENT clarified that any modifications would require discussion with the International Federations concerned. He put forward for consideration withdrawal of one of the preliminary football groups, particularly in view of the difficulties encountered with FIFA, and allocation of the organization of the full women’s volleyball tournament, which would include the presentation of medals, to the NOC of the DPR of Korea. In addition, the cycle road race could take place entirely within the DPR of Korea, rather than crossing the border, as previously proposed.

MR. KIM stated that the NOC of the DPR of Korea welcomed the possibility of an increase in the number of sports to be staged in its territory. However, he wished to emphasize that the NOC had worked towards the goal of staging football competitions and that large stadia had been constructed to this end, as Messrs. Siperco and Coupat had witnessed. The efforst of the NOC of the DPR of Korea had been concentrated upon football competitions being allocated to the DPR of Korea. Football was a popular sport in the DPR of Korea, and the NOC had repeatedly requested that football should be allocated to the Northern part of the Korean Peninsula. MR. KIM explained that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had not presented its application for the preliminary rounds of the football tournaments in the Asia region, as a result of the abnormal conditions prevailing at the time. He suggested that a full eight sports, including football, should be allocated to the DPR of Korea.

THE PRESIDENT referred to the situation which had arisen in connection with the football preliminary rounds, and to the fact that the FIFA committee responsible had decided to disqualify the team representing the NOC of the DPR of Korea for not having participated.

It was impossible for football as a full sport to be organized in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. However, should the NOC still be interested in retaining the organization of one group of football preliminaries, this could be discussed and a decision reached before the close of the current meetings. Nevertheless, an agreement in principle was still required to the IOC’s offer of staging table tennis and archery competitions, also the women’s volleyball tournament and the cycle road race before the IOC could study details relating to the organization of one of the preliminary football group tournaments in Pyongyang.

MR. CHIN re-iterated that the NOC hoped that the IOC would re-consider and allocate to the DPR of Korea the football competitions in the context of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad.

He stated that his proposal had been put forward during the second round of talks between the IOC and the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. MR. CHIN was of the opinion that allocating only one of the four preliminary groups of football preliminaries showed discrimination against the NOC of the DPR of Korea.

THE PRESIDENT underlined that it the term ‘discrimination’ was unacceptable to the IOC since the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad had been awarded to the city of Seoul which had applied for them. He wished, once again, to stress that Pyongyang had not put forward a candidature for the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad, and that the IOC hoped, with the current negotiations, to further relations between the two parts of a divided country through the celebration of the Olympic Games.

The meeting broke at 11.45 hours; THE PRESIDENT requested the NOC of the DPR of Korea to study the suggestions made by the IOC and to continue talks in this respect at 16.30 hours.

At 15.00 hour, THE PRESIDENT welcomed the NOC of the Republic of Korea to this bilateral meeting. In this fourth meeting, the IOC was doing its utmost to support and protect the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad in Seoul. In the last meeting with the NOC of the DPR of Korea, an important offer had been made, although the NOC of the DPR of Korea had requested to stage a third of the Games.

However, before discussing this problem, THE PRESIDENT wished to pose certain questions regarding recent events in the Republic of Korea, to determine whether or not they would affect the Games.

MR. KIM stated that, indeed, democratisation in the Republic of Korea was a fairly recent development. However, as regards the conflicts between the opposition and ruling parties, the President of the Republic of Korea had agreed on 19th June 1987 to allow measures of democratisation, which had been agreed upon by the government. There would be no further conflicts and demonstrations on the political front. He reminded the President of some concern before the Asian Games, which had proved unfounded as all people in the Republic of Korea had been in favour of the Asian Games. A similar consensus existed with relation to the Olympic Games in Seoul and the internal situation would in no way hamper them.

THE PRESIDENT thanked Mr. Kim for this answer and went on to pose specific questions regarding the taking down of an Olympic flag in the city hall during a recent demonstration; and the position of parties vis-á-vis the Games, given that certain newspaper reports had quoted some opposition leaders as saying they wanted democratisation first and the Games second.

MR. KIM replied that the incident concerning the Olympic flag had been wrongly reported. He believed that on 9th July 1987, during a demonstration for a dead student, the flag of mourning was raised in place of the Olympic flag, but that the latter had been re-hoisted on the insistence of the people. Everyone was in agreement over protecting the Olympic Movement.

As regards the opposition leaders, the two main figures, Messrs. Kim and Kim, had no objection to the successful staging of the Games. Presidential elections were to be held before the Games and that is why democratisation would come first, without any impact on the Games at all.

THE PRESIDENT asked whether it was appropriate to continue with his planned visit to Seoul in November, if it was to come at a politically sensitive period before the elections. He wondered whether it might not be best to reconsider the visit in spite of the fact that it was conveniently linked with visits to the People’s Republic of China and Japan.

MR. KIM affirmed that, as far as he knew, the President’s visit had nothing to do with internal politics. He would not be obliged to meet political leaders, although they would be invited by the NOC to the reception given in his honour.

THE PRESIDENT concluded that he would proceed with plans for his visit to Seoul in November. He continued with the discussion regarding the proposals made by the NOC of the DPR of Korea. The latter had been informed that only minor adjustments could be made to the last offer of the IOC, namely, it could stage the women’s volleyball tournament and the whole of the men’s cycle road race, which was originally to run through the DPR of Korea and the Republic of Korea. This was deemed prudent in view of the refusal to let an IOC delegation cross the border between North and South Korea.

THE PRESIDENT said he would continue to refuse further demands by the NOC of the DPR of Korea for eight sports. He wished, nonetheless, to show that the IOC was dealing fairly with the DPR of Korea.

THE PRESIDENT thought it best to offer something more to the NOC of the DPR of Korea. The original offer had encouraged many countries, particularly Socialist ones, to agree, albeit unofficially, to take part in the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad in Seoul. Now these countries were urging the IOC to concede more to the NOC of the DPR of Korea which the IOC wished to do, so that if certain countries did not eventually participate, it was because they did not really wish to do so.

THE PRESIDENT asked whether the NOC of the Republic of Korea would support the IOC in this matter. The NOC of the Republic of Korea already had an abundance of proof of the IOC’s help and support, especially during the last weeks when there had been rumours of the Games going to another city.

THE PRESIDENT had clearly stated that the Games would be held in Seoul, or not at all.

MR. KIM replied that he had been deeply impressed by the President’s support in the past and greatly appreciative of the interview he had given to the press in the University Games in Zagreb the previous week. He wished to confirm that, by terms of the latest proposal, the men’s cycling team road race would be held entirely in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and, if so, he wished to know the location of the end of the race.

THE PRESIDENT replied that the NOC of the DPR of Korea would organize the race in and around the DPR of Korea. In the opinion of the IOC, it would be easier for one of the two countries to organize the race in the present situation.

MR. KIM clarified the position of his NOC. In his opinion, technical details remained to be settled during this round of discussions, but the speech by Mr. Yu Sun Kim had been disappointing and threatened to eliminate any progress made in negotiations and proposals. The claim to be co-hosts of the Games and to having an organizing committee of equal status to the SLOOC was a direct renunciation of what it had agreed to in principle during the third talks.

THE PRESIDENT agreed that the speech had been disappointing but he wished now to discuss the reaction of the NOC of the Republic of Korea to the proposals put to the NOC of the DPR of Korea by the IOC at the last meeting, that was, to keep the previous offer of the two sports, adding the men’s team road race and women’s volleyball.

MR. KIM requested a break of five minutes.

MR. KIM believed that the cycle race would lose its symbolic significance if it did not run through both Koreas. This signified also the freedom to travel of the Olympic family. He was also concerned about the location of the race being dangerous if travel conditions were not granted.

THE PRESIDENT repeated that the race would be better organised by one of the two countries.

MR. KIM queried whether this was the IOC’s final offer to the NOC of the DPR of Korea, or whether something else might be added later.

THE PRESIDENT could not state categorically that this was the final offer. He stressed that the IOC was trying to help the Republic of Korea. Whilst it would have been easy to determine that all sports events should be held in the Republic of Korea, certain Socialist countries might have refused to participate. He believed a further gesture was necessary, so that all countries would realise they were doing their best to find a solution.

MR. KIM again thanked the IOC President for his support. He continued to state that if the NOC of the DPR of Korea withdrew its claim to co-host the Games, if it complied with the Olympic Charter, and attended the opening and closing ceremonies which should be held only in Seoul, participated in the Games in Seoul and guaranteed unrestricted travel over the border, his NOC would study the proposals in a very positive way.

THE PRESIDENT emphasised that the answer was needed, at the latest, by the following day, as otherwise these talks would have produced no result.

MR. KIM replied that he realised time was short and would give the reply as soon as possible. He added that Seoul was always in support of the IOC and positive in its relations towards it.

MR. KIM queried whether accredited IOC persons would be able to cross the border and anticipated problems for foreigners with tickets to the archery and table tennis events.

THE PRESIDENT agreed there was a great deal to discuss concerning the staging of sports in Pyongyang, the OCOGs, the participation in the Games, free circulation and television coverage, as well as the North-South passage problem. However, he believed it futile to enter in discussion on these points until the number of sports given to the NOC of the DPR of Korea was settled. He added, however, that he supported the position of Mr. Siperco and Mr. Coupat who had been in Seoul recently.
At 16.00 hours the meeting was adjourned.


At 16.30 hours, THE PRESIDENT welcomed the delegation of the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea back to the meeting. He gave the floor to Mr. Kim, requesting him to inform the IOC of the NOC’s reaction to the proposal made that morning.

MR. KIM referred to discussions held in October 1985, in association with which details had been given regarding free circulation between the DPR of Korea and the Republic of Korea. It was proposed to open roads, railways and airways to ensure the possibility of free travel for all those concerned in the Olympic Games. The question of free circulation was of vital importance for the successful staging of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad in both parts of the Korean Peninsula. He hoped that this would clarify the position of the NOC of the DPR of Korea as doubt seemed constantly to be expressed as to whether free circulation would be feasible, and he did not wish this issue to prove an obstacle to the continuation of negotiations. MR. KIM expressed concern that authorities in the Republic of Korea had not thus far guaranteed free circulation to athletes/officials/journalists from the DPR of Korea.

He referred to the request made that the IOC delegation might cross to the Republic of Korea via Panmunjom; a telex had been forwarded to the IOC which stated clearly the reasons why such a request could not be granted.

MR. KIM thanked the President for the adjustments made to the IOC’s original proposal, he appreciated this gesture as a contribution towards fruitful discussions, and a step towards progress to be achieved. The delegation of the NOC of Korea had considered carefully the allocation of sports to be granted to the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Only as a result of co-hosting the Games could a contribution be made towards the development of the Olympic Movement and the reunification of Korea. The NOC had clarified on various occasions the number of full sports which it hoped to stage, and had put forward flexible alternatives which took into account the viewpoint of the NOC of the Republic of Korea. Other matters which required consideration were the appellation of the Games, the opening and closing ceremonies. However, out of a total of 23 sports and 237 events, the NOC requested to host a minimum of eight full sports, since allocation of fewer sports would be meaningless and would subordinate organization of events in Pyongyang to those hosted in Seoul.

With regard to football, the NOC of the DPR of Korea, had from the outset, attached importance to the staging of football competitions within its territory and had, in fact, approached the FIFA in respect of this. The delegation hoped sincerely that football would be included as one of the sports awarded to the NOC of the DPR of Korea.

MR. CHANG wished to give further details relating to the subject of football since the question had been broached. The NOC had hoped that the allocation of sports/events would be decided upon during the second round of talks with the IOC, which had not been the case. The deadline for applications for football in the Asia region had been set at 30th April 1986. Should the NOC have put forward its entry, this would have been interpreted as a withdrawal of the proposal to host the football tournaments on the Northern Korean peninsula. In response to FIFA’s enquiry as to why the NOC of the DPR of Korea had not entered its team, the NOC had re-iterated its wish to host the football competitions.

MR. CHANG felt that the DPR of Korea should be given the responsibility of organizing some of the popular sports, and thus sincerely hoped that football might be confided to Pyongyang.

THE PRESIDENT stated that the NOC would be informed of the standpoint of the IOC at 11.30 hours the following morning.

The bilateral meeting was declared closed at 17.00 hours.

The meeting between the IOC and the NOC of the Republic of Korea reconvened at 10.45 hours.

THE PRESIDENT stated that the IOC had decided to maintain the offer made to the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with the addition of women’s volleyball and the possibility of holding the cycling road race entirely in the DPR of Korea.

MR. KIM asked for confirmation that the offer was the same as the previous day.

THE PRESIDENT said that it was.

MR. KIM expressed his deep gratitude to the IOC for all its efforts and cooperative gestures so far, the time which had been devoted to his delegation and the good advice and encouragement his delegation had received. It was their intention to try to make the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad the greatest in history. In the bilateral meeting at 15.00 hours the previous day, his delegation had been asked to consider favourably the possibility of granting women’s volleyball and the entire cycling road race to the DPR of Korea. As he had pointed out the previous morning, this fourth round of talks could produce fruitful results only if they dealt with practical issues on the basis of the IOC’s proposal. The DPR of Korea was virtually ignoring the IOC’s proposal and was asking the NOC of the Republic of Korea to make unrealistic concessions. In this situation, he could only reconfirm his position and state that the NOC of the Republic of the DPR of Korea were to withdraw its claim to co-host the Games, to open up its borders and to agree unconditionally to take part in the Opening and Closing ceremonies in Seoul.

THE PRESIDENT considered this response a sufficient basis upon which to proceed, and observed that the delegation had the full right to consider the matter. He asked for a reply in writing by the end of August at the latest. He recalled that the ceremony for sending invitiations to the Games would take place on 17th September 1987. That would not mean an end to discussions, but it was a very important date for the IOC.

THE PRESIDENT informed the delegation that the NOC of the Republic of Korea would receive an official letter from the IOC containing the statement issued at the end of the meeting.

THE PRESIDENT suggested that the meeting discuss the invitation ceremony. He mentioned that the ceremony would be held to coincide with the meeting of the summer Ifs. There would also be a meeting of the Commission for the Olympic Movement and a meeting of the Commission for Olympic Solidarity. It was planned to hold the ceremony at 12.00 hours on 17th September 1987. The IOC would be very happy to see a large delegation from the Republic of Korea present for the occasion, representing not only the NOC but also the SLOOC. Regarding the size of the delegation, accommodation etc., THE PRESIDENT asked the delegation to contact the Secretary General.

MR. KIM thanked the President and assured him that it would be an honour for him, the NOC and the SLOOC to attend the ceremony with a large delegation. He expressed gratitude to the IOC President for taking the view that the IOC was not negotiating with his delegation.

The delegation from the NOC of the Republic of Korea left the meeting at 11.15 hours.
The meeting between the IOC and the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea commenced at 11.25 hours.

THE PRESIDENT stated that following discussions between the IOC and the NOC of the DPR of Korea, a final sessions of joint talks would take place with the NOC of the Republic of Korea. The IOC had reconsidered the proposal put forward at the close of the third round of talks and was prepared to put forward an improved proposal as follows: men’s and women’s archery competitions, men’s and women’s table tennis competitions, one group of the football tournament, the cycle road race and the women’s volleyball competitions would be organized in the territory of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Should the NOC accept this proposal, the IOC would call a fifth meeting in order to discuss other issues such as free circulation, formation of an Organizing Committee in Pyongyang, television coverage and so forth. The IOC would not issue a deadline for recept of an acceptance, but would ask the NOC to bear in mind the significant date of 17th September 1987 for the sending out of invitations to the NOCs for participation in the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad. Thus, the IOC recommended that a reply be forwarded as soon as possible prior to 17th September 1987.

THE PRESIDENT drew the attention of the delegates to the fact that the IOC was sensitive to the point of view expressed by the NOC of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and was, in allocating organization of sports competitions to the DPR of Korea, going against the principles laid down in the “Olympic Charter”. The aforementioned proposal was historic in that, for the first time, and contrary to the rules of the Charter, the Games of the Olympiad would be celebrated in two different countries. The IOC was disappointed that the NOC of the DPR of Korea did not seem to attach sufficient importance to the possibility of organizing Olympic competition in the territory of the DPR of Korea. THE PRESIDENT requested delegates to study the proposal made by the IOC attentively and to provide an answer as soon as this was possible.

MR. KIM, as President of the NOC of the DPR of Korea, stated that the delegates had attached great importance to the fourth round of negotiations in the expectation of reaching an agreement in principle on this occasion. It had transpired during the visit of the IOC delegation to the DPR of Korea in May 1897 that views relating to the denomination of the Games, the compositon of an organizing committee, television rights, opening and closing ceremonies were not far opposed. The question of allocation of sports and events remained the most difficult problem. The delegation was grateful for the new proposal which had come out of the meetings, and appreciated the effort made by the President and the IOC representatives towards an initiative which would be a landmark in the development of the Olympic Movement.

The NOC of the DPR of Korea hoped that the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad would be co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and the DPR of Korea. Delegates recommended that the IOC should not restrict deliberations to practical concerns of whether or not to increase the number of sports and events to be organized in the DPR of Korea, but should ensure a broader basis for discussion, such as Korea as a divided nation, and the possibility of a new development in the history of the Olympic Movement. MR. KIM sincerely hoped that the IOC would study the requests made by the NOC of the DPR of Korea and work towards a final agreement in light of this.

THE PRESIDENT noted the delegation’s appreciation of the IOC’s efforts to bring about a mutually satisfactory agreemtn for the success of the Games.

MR. CHIN remarked that he believed there should be no conditions attached to the calling of a further round of discussions. He felt that all the issues connected to the celebration of the Olympic competition should not focus upon the sports/events which would be awarded to the DPR of Korea, as this presented only one facet of the issue. In imposing conditions to which agreement must be granted before negotiations could proceed, the IOC was creating unnecessary obstacles to the progress of the talks.

THE PRESIDENT re-iterated his stance of the IOC: the NOC of the DPR of Korea must accept the IOC’s proposal regarding the sports and events before discussion of any other points could begin.

At 12.15 hours THE PRESIDENT opened further joint discussions with the IOC and delegates from both the NOC of the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

THE PRESIDENT wished to thank the Presidents of both delegations for their appreciation of the role of the IOC in the discussions which was to work towards ensuring the success of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad, and full participation of the 167 National Olympic Committees. THE PRESIDENT stated that a statement had been prepared which outlined the proposal which had been formulated during the current round of talks.

MR. KIM, President of the Korean Olympic Committee, thanked the President for the hospitality extended to his delegation and for the work he was undertaking on behalf of the Olympic Movement. He had hoped that a final agreement might be worked out during this fourth conference, and was of the opinion that if serious deliberations took place on the basis of the IOC’s decision of September 1981 in Baden-Baden, a satisfactory solution could be found. Nevertheless, the NOC of the Republic of Korea would continue to welcome dialogue and to support the IOC in its role of mediator.

MR. KIM, President of the Olympic Commmittee of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, expressed his thanks on behalf of the delegation for holding the fourth meeting. Although a full agreement had not been reached, the amendments made to the IOC’s original proposal were appreciated and were a step forward in the discussion process. He regretted that certain problems had not been broached during the meeting, and that it was not therefore possible to assess the differing viewpoints which might be held by the two NOCs. The NOC of the DPR of Korea had advanced concrete suggestions, advocating the co-hosting of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad which would contribute to the peaceful reunification of the Korean nation. MR. KIM hoped that all parties would study the recommendations set forth by his delegation and that further talks would be held in a spirit of co-operation towards a fruitful conclusion.

THE PRESIDENT expressed his thanks to the Presidents of the two Korean NOCs, also to the members of the IOC delegation for their support, and requested Mr. Pisar to read the IOC’s statement (Annex 5).

MR. KIM of the NOC of the Republic of Korea mentioned that he had understand that it was the team cycling road race which was to be organized in the DPR of Korea, and not the individual event.

THE PRESIDENT stated that this would be examined in due course, but that the statement would be read as such.

THE PRESIDENT declared the fourth joint meeting closed at 12.40 hours, inviting all parties to attend the press conference.