WORLD : Olympic Bombing Plan Alleged

SEOUL — A North Korean defector claimed today that his country planned a series of bombing attacks at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul but that the plan was canceled because of fear of retaliation.

Suh Yong Chul, 26, who defected from North Korea last month, told a news conference that six members of his North Korean commando unit were trained to bomb Olympic facilities in Seoul, including the 10,000-capacity main stadium.

He said the plan was scrapped at the last moment because North Korean leaders feared that it could invite a retaliatory attack on a world youth festival scheduled in July.