---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in…"
description: "\"In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea, which was a divided country... It was an opportunity for the East and the West to come together in har..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/moon-jae-in-10239_cold_in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in_362630.jpg"
---

#  In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea, which was…

![“In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea, which was a divided country... It was an opportunity for the East and the West to come together in harmony and also take a significant role in ending the Cold War era.” quote by Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/moon-jae-in-10239_cold_in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in_362630.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/moon-jae-in-10239_cold_in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in_362630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/moon-jae-in-10239_cold_in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in_362630.jpg)

> “In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea, which was a divided country... It was an opportunity for the East and the West to come together in harmony and also take a significant role in ending the Cold War era.”

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The Games symbolized a chance for a split nation to bridge East‑West tensions, fostering unity and signaling a shift toward ending Cold War hostilities.

**In simple terms:** The Olympics helped unite a divided country and eased Cold War tensions.

Key Takeaway

Leverage shared events to build bridges.

Themes

diplomacy unity history sports

Mood

optimistic reflective

Type

historical inspirational

When to use this quote

- international festivals
- joint scientific conferences
- cross‑cultural education
- peace talks

Key Concepts

soft power cultural exchange political symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can sports further diplomatic goals?
- What lasting impacts did the 1988 Games have on Korean society?

A Different Perspective

Success depends on genuine cooperation beyond symbolic gestures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Divided country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divided-country/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [My family has been deeply affected by the split of Korea, which divided it in half, basically, before I was born. There's no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/my-family-has-been-deeply-affected-by-the-split-of-korea-which/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I began skating when I was 3. It was during 2002, the year the Olympics were held in Salt Lake City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-chen/i-began-skating-when-i-was-3-it-was-during-2002-the-year-the-olympics/)

[Nathan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-chen/)

> [I'd love to compete in the Summer Olympics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-white/i-d-love-to-compete-in-the-summer-olympics/)

[Shaun White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-white/)

> [The time leading up to the 1996 Olympics was the most demanding and stressful of my career. The sport I had loved so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-moceanu/the-time-leading-up-to-the-1996-olympics-was-the-most-demanding-and/)

[Dominique Moceanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-moceanu/)

> [The gymnastic events are really what I tune into the Summer Olympics for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-weir/the-gymnastic-events-are-really-what-i-tune-into-the-summer-olympics/)

[Johnny Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-weir/)

> [Seoul will co-operate with the national government so that the 2032 Summer Olympics become something more than a sports festival - an opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-won-soon/seoul-will-co-operate-with-the-national-government-so-that-the-2032/)

[Park Won-soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-won-soon/)

> [I have always loved the Summer Olympics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-mcphee/i-have-always-loved-the-summer-olympics/)

[Katharine McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-mcphee/)

> [It would be nice to do a winter and a summer Olympics in the same cycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadeena-cox/it-would-be-nice-to-do-a-winter-and-a-summer-olympics-in-the-same/)

[Kadeena Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadeena-cox/)

> [“Do you think the United States is currently a united or a divided country? If you are like most people, you would say the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-stephens-davidowitz/do-you-think-the-united-states-is-currently-a-united-or-a-divided/)

[Seth Stephens-Davidowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-stephens-davidowitz/)

> [ Finally, in 1954 \[Ho Chi Minh\] agreed to the Geneva Agreement, which divided the country temporarily into two zones, in the hope that national… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/finally-in-1954-ho-chi-minh-agreed-to-the-geneva-agreement-which/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [Well, that our main concern is that Iraq should not become a divided country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bulent-ecevit/well-that-our-main-concern-is-that-iraq-should-not-become-a-divided/)

[Bulent Ecevit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bulent-ecevit/)

> [You know, boy, America is a closely divided country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/you-know-boy-america-is-a-closely-divided-country/)

[Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/)

> [In America, we had a totally divided country for eight years and long before that. In all fairness to President Obama, long before President…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-america-we-had-a-totally-divided-country-for-eight-years-and-long/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [If you look at sort of how politics has divided itself here in this country, the big divide right now is between urban areas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-you-look-at-sort-of-how-politics-has-divided-itself-here-in-this/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

## More by Moon Jae-in

> [During the periods when South Korea played a more active role, the inter-Korean relationship was more peaceful, and there was less tension between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/during-the-periods-when-south-korea-played-a-more-active-role-the/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [I believe President Trump is more reasonable than he is generally perceived. President Trump uses strong rhetoric toward North Korea, but during the election…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/i-believe-president-trump-is-more-reasonable-than-he-is-generally/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [No one shall take a military action on the Korean Peninsula without South Korean consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/no-one-shall-take-a-military-action-on-the-korean-peninsula-without/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [We must embrace the North Korean people as part of the Korean nation, and to do that, whether we like it or not, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/we-must-embrace-the-north-korean-people-as-part-of-the-korean-nation/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [When peaceful reunification comes, the first thing I want to do is to take my 90-year-old mother and go to her home town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/when-peaceful-reunification-comes-the-first-thing-i-want-to-do-is-to/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [I will be a president that can share a glass of soju with the public after work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/i-will-be-a-president-that-can-share-a-glass-of-soju-with-the-public/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [I believe that dialogue is necessary. We were unable to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through only the sanctions and pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/i-believe-that-dialogue-is-necessary-we-were-unable-to-resolve-the/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [The message that we must send to North Korea is twofold: If the North Korean regime believes that it can defend and protect itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/the-message-that-we-must-send-to-north-korea-is-twofold-if-the-north/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [There will be no war repeated on the Korean Peninsula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/there-will-be-no-war-repeated-on-the-korean-peninsula/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [My parents fled from North Korea during the Korean War because they despised the North Korean Communist regime. They fled to seek freedom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/my-parents-fled-from-north-korea-during-the-korean-war-because-they/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [For Korea, ASEAN has undoubtedly been a special and valued friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/for-korea-asean-has-undoubtedly-been-a-special-and-valued-friend/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize. What we need is only peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/president-trump-should-win-the-nobel-peace-prize-what-we-need-is-only/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [Denuclearization and the lasting peace on the Korean peninsula cannot be abandoned or delayed, as they are the historical assignment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/denuclearization-and-the-lasting-peace-on-the-korean-peninsula-cannot/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [Poverty dictated my childhood. But there were benefits as well: I became independent, more mature than my peers, and I realized that money is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/poverty-dictated-my-childhood-but-there-were-benefits-as-well-i/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

> [One of the biggest problems with this THAAD deployment decision was that it lacked democratic procedure, and it has resulted in a wide division…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/one-of-the-biggest-problems-with-this-thaad-deployment-decision-was/)

[Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

[Explore all 67 Moon Jae-in quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/)

## More Cold quotes

> [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/)

[Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/)

> [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/)

[Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/)

> [Of course Messi could handle a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. He'd be drinking tea and relaxing beforehand. Me? I'd probably be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/of-course-messi-could-handle-a-cold-tuesday-night-in-stoke-he-d-be/)

[Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/)

> [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/)

[George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/)

> [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/)

[Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/)

> [You start playing when it's cold and you want to be playing when it's cold again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimy-williams/you-start-playing-when-it-s-cold-and-you-want-to-be-playing-when-it-s/)

Jimy Williams

> [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/)

[Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/)

> [I would have touched it like a child But knew my finger could but have touched Cold stone and water. I grew wild, Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-would-have-touched-it-like-a-child-but-knew-my-finger-could-but/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/)

[Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/)

> [When I first started, all the reviews of Cold Chisel would say, 'This singer won't have a voice in six months.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/when-i-first-started-all-the-reviews-of-cold-chisel-would-say-this/)

[Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/)

> [One of the problems trying to play an instrument outside in the cold is your fingers give up on you and you can't wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-macdonald/one-of-the-problems-trying-to-play-an-instrument-outside-in-the-cold/)

[Amy Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-macdonald/)

> [God tempers the cold to the shorn sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/god-tempers-the-cold-to-the-shorn-sheep/)

Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville

> [Those nights lying alone are not discontinuous with this cold hectic dawn. It is who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/those-nights-lying-alone-are-not-discontinuous-with-this-cold-hectic/)

[Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/)

[Browse all 5,381 Cold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea, which was a divided country... It was an opportunity for the East and the West to come together in harmony and also take a significant role in ending the Cold War era.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Moon Jae-in"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in-korea-which-was-a-divided/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cold"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in-korea-which-was-a-divided/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/moon-jae-in-10239_cold_in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in_362630.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/moon-jae-in-10239_cold_in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in_362630.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/moon-jae-in-10239_cold_in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in_362630.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea, which was a divided country... It was an opportunity for…” — Moon Jae-in",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Moon Jae-in",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In 1988, the Summer Olympics were...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in-korea-which-was-a-divided/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in-korea-which-was-a-divided/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
