# Handball at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

The women's tournament was one of two handball tournaments at the 1988 Summer Olympics. It was the fourth appearance of a women's handball tournament at the Olympic Games.

## Qualification

| Mean of qualification | Date | Host | Vacancies | Qualified |
| Host nation | 30 September 1981 | Baden-Baden | 1 | South Korea |
| 1986 World Championship | 4–14 December 1986 | Netherlands | 3 | Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Norway |
| 1987 African Championship | July 1987 | Rabat | 1 | Ivory Coast |
| 1987 Pan American Games | 9–16 August 1987 | Indianapolis | 1 | United States |
| 1987 Asian Championship | 20–27 August 1987 | Amman | 1 | China |
| 1987 World Championship Group B | 9–18 December 1987 | Bulgaria | 1 | Yugoslavia |
| Total | Total | Total | 8 | |

## Preliminary round
### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | South Korea (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 67 | +9 | 4 | Final round |
| 2 | Yugoslavia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 4 | Final round |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 81 | 69 | +12 | 4 | Placement round |
| 4 | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 55 | 76 | −21 | 0 | Placement round |
* 1 2 3 25% rule: South Korea +3 GD, Yugoslavia –1 GD, Czechoslovakia –2 GD
| 21 September 1988 14:00 | Czechoslovakia | 27–33 | South Korea | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lelong, Tancrez (FRA) |
| 21 September 1988 14:00 | Hejtmánková, Lupačová 6 | (9–15) | Kim H. 8 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lelong, Tancrez (FRA) |
| 21 September 1988 14:00 | 2× 5× 1× | | 2× 3× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lelong, Tancrez (FRA) |
| 21 September 1988 18:00 | Yugoslavia | 19–18 | United States | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Marin, Şerban (ROU) |
| 21 September 1988 18:00 | Galic, S. Mugoša 5 | (10–8) | Jones 9 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Marin, Şerban (ROU) |
| 21 September 1988 18:00 | 2× 3× | | 2× 3× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Marin, Şerban (ROU) |
| 23 September 1988 14:00 | Czechoslovakia | 33–19 | United States | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Christensen, Jørgensen (DEN) |
| 23 September 1988 14:00 | Damitšová 8 | (13–11) | Jones 10 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Christensen, Jørgensen (DEN) |
| 23 September 1988 14:00 | 1× 3× | | 1× 6× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Christensen, Jørgensen (DEN) |
| 23 September 1988 18:00 | Yugoslavia | 22–19 | South Korea | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Guterman, Taranuhin (URS) |
| 23 September 1988 18:00 | Kolega 6 | (10–13) | Kim C. 6 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Guterman, Taranuhin (URS) |
| 23 September 1988 18:00 | 1× 3× | | 2× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Guterman, Taranuhin (URS) |
| 25 September 1988 14:00 | South Korea | 24–18 | United States | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Blademo, Wester (SWE) |
| 25 September 1988 14:00 | Kim C. 7 | (11–10) | Jones 6 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Blademo, Wester (SWE) |
| 25 September 1988 14:00 | 2× 4× | | 2× 3× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Blademo, Wester (SWE) |
| 25 September 1988 18:00 | Czechoslovakia | 21–17 | Yugoslavia | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Ludvigsen, Sjong (NOR) |
| 25 September 1988 18:00 | Ďurišinová 9 | (8–7) | Galic 4 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Ludvigsen, Sjong (NOR) |
| 25 September 1988 18:00 | 2× 6× | | 1× 7× 1× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Ludvigsen, Sjong (NOR) |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 49 | +26 | 5 | Final round |
| 2 | Norway | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 5 | Final round |
| 3 | China | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 76 | 58 | +18 | 2 | Placement round |
| 4 | Ivory Coast | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 103 | −66 | 0 | Placement round |
* 1 2 25% rule: Soviet Union +5 GD, Norway +2 GD
| 21 September 1988 15:30 | Soviet Union | 24–19 | China | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Jug, Jeglič (YUG) |
| 21 September 1988 15:30 | Tovstohan 5 | (12–9) | Sun 8 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Jug, Jeglič (YUG) |
| 21 September 1988 15:30 | 3× 4× | | 3× 1× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Jug, Jeglič (YUG) |
| 21 September 1988 19:30 | Norway | 34–14 | Ivory Coast | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lee, Park (KOR) |
| 21 September 1988 19:30 | Midthun 7 | (15–8) | Kramou 5 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lee, Park (KOR) |
| 21 September 1988 19:30 | 3× 1× | | 2× 7× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lee, Park (KOR) |
| 23 September 1988 15:30 | Soviet Union | 32–11 | Ivory Coast | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Zaworotny, Brosio (ARG) |
| 23 September 1988 15:30 | Morskova 8 | (14–7) | Kramou 4 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Zaworotny, Brosio (ARG) |
| 23 September 1988 15:30 | 1× 2× | | 2× 7× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Zaworotny, Brosio (ARG) |
| 23 September 1988 19:30 | Norway | 22–20 | China | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Hofmann, Prause (FRG) |
| 23 September 1988 19:30 | Steen 6 | (12–10) | Chen, Sun 4 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Hofmann, Prause (FRG) |
| 23 September 1988 19:30 | 2× 2× | | 1× 2× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Hofmann, Prause (FRG) |
| 25 September 1988 15:30 | China | 37–12 | Ivory Coast | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lelong, Tancrez (FRA) |
| 25 September 1988 15:30 | Sun 10 | (20–4) | Djoman 3 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lelong, Tancrez (FRA) |
| 25 September 1988 15:30 | 2× | | 3× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lelong, Tancrez (FRA) |
| 25 September 1988 19:30 | Soviet Union | 19–19 | Norway | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Rauchfuß, Buchda (GDR) |
| 25 September 1988 19:30 | Lapitskaya 5 | (13–10) | Svendsen 5 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Rauchfuß, Buchda (GDR) |
| 25 September 1988 19:30 | 3× 4× 1× | | 3× 2× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Rauchfuß, Buchda (GDR) |

## Placement round

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 5 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 52 | +41 | 6 |
| 6 | China | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 89 | 60 | +29 | 4 |
| 7 | United States | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 80 | −12 | 2 |
| 8 | Ivory Coast | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 98 | −58 | 0 |
| 27 September 1988 14:00 | China | 31–22 | United States | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Haak, Koppe (NED) |
| 27 September 1988 14:00 | Sun 10 | (12–13) | Jones 6 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Haak, Koppe (NED) |
| 27 September 1988 14:00 | 3× 3× | | 3× 2× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Haak, Koppe (NED) |
| 27 September 1988 15:30 | Ivory Coast | 12–34 | Czechoslovakia | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Kim, Park (KOR) |
| 27 September 1988 15:30 | Kramou 5 | (5–16) | Hejtmánková 7 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Kim, Park (KOR) |
| 27 September 1988 15:30 | 3× 3× | | 3× 2× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Kim, Park (KOR) |
| 29 September 1988 14:00 | Ivory Coast | 16–27 | United States | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lee, Park (KOR) |
| 29 September 1988 14:00 | Bah, Kramou 5 | (6–14) | three players 4 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lee, Park (KOR) |
| 29 September 1988 14:00 | 2× 4× | | 1× 2× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Lee, Park (KOR) |
| 29 September 1988 15:30 | China | 21–26 | Czechoslovakia | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Blademo, Wester (SWE) |
| 29 September 1988 15:30 | Chen 7 | (10–9) | Budayová, Ďurišinová 6 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Blademo, Wester (SWE) |
| 29 September 1988 15:30 | 2× 3× | | 2× 3× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Blademo, Wester (SWE) |

## Final round

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| | South Korea (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 63 | 61 | +2 | 4 |
| | Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 59 | 57 | +2 | 3 |
| | Soviet Union | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 56 | 55 | +1 | 3 |
| 4 | Yugoslavia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 52 | 57 | −5 | 2 |
* 1 2 25% rule: Norway +2 GD, Soviet Union +1 GD
| 27 September 1988 18:00 | Yugoslavia | 15–18 | Soviet Union | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Christensen, Jørgensen (DEN) |
| 27 September 1988 18:00 | Galic 5 | (8–9) | Morskova 6 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Christensen, Jørgensen (DEN) |
| 27 September 1988 18:00 | 2× 5× | | 1× 4× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Christensen, Jørgensen (DEN) |
| 27 September 1988 19:30 | South Korea | 23–20 | Norway | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Hofmann, Prause (FRG) |
| 27 September 1988 19:30 | Kim H., Kim M. 5 | (10–9) | Sundal 6 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Hofmann, Prause (FRG) |
| 27 September 1988 19:30 | 2× 3× | | 2× 2× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Hofmann, Prause (FRG) |
| 29 September 1988 18:00 | Yugoslavia | 15–20 | Norway | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Marin, Şerban (ROU) |
| 29 September 1988 18:00 | Galic, S. Mugoša 3 | (10–9) | Steen 5 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Marin, Şerban (ROU) |
| 29 September 1988 18:00 | 3× 5× | | 2× 6× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Marin, Şerban (ROU) |
| 29 September 1988 19:30 | South Korea | 21–19 | Soviet Union | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Rauchfuß, Buchda (GDR) |
| 29 September 1988 19:30 | Lim 6 | (13–11) | Morskova 7 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Rauchfuß, Buchda (GDR) |
| 29 September 1988 19:30 | 2× 2× | | 1× 3× | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon Referees: Rauchfuß, Buchda (GDR) |

## Final ranking

| Rank | Team |
| | South Korea |
| | Norway |
| | Soviet Union |
| 4 | Yugoslavia |
| 5 | Czechoslovakia |
| 6 | China |
| 7 | United States |
| 8 | Ivory Coast |