North Korea Trims Demand for Hosting Olympic Events to 5

TOKYO — North Korea said today it was “drastically slashing” its demand that it be allowed to stage eight events of the 1988 Olympics, and would settle for five full events and part of another.

It insisted, however, that one of the full events be the Olympic soccer tournament, from which its own team has been barred for not showing up for regional qualifying matches.

A source close to the Olympic movement expressed doubt that the International Olympic Committee would accept North Korea’s latest proposal because of the country’s insistence on hosting the entire soccer tournament.