Extra-Lightweight (≤60 kilograms), Men
| Date | 25 September 1988 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Jang-chung Che-yuk-gwan, Seoul | |
| Participants | 36 from 36 countries | |
| Format | Two single-elimination pools, with winner of each pool advanced to the final. All judoka losing to the winner of each pool advanced to repêchage pools, with the winners of the repêchage pools earning bronze medals. | |
The two favorites were Japan’s Shinji Hosokawa and Korea’s Kim Jae-Yeop. Hosokawa had won the 1984 gold medal and the 1985 World Championship. Kim was the silver medalist in 1984, and had won the 1987 Worlds, defeating Hosokawa in the final. Kim made his way to the final with no difficulties. Hosokawa met Kevin Asano (USA) in the pool final. Asano had been bronze medalist at the 1987 World Championships. Both used several varieties of tomoe-nage and both eluded being thrown throughout the match. The two judges split, giving the decision to the referee who advanced Asano to the final. The final was very close. Kim eventually won the gold medal, but only by a late shido given to Asano for passivity. The Korean crowd was wildly ecstatic, and when Kim appeared for the medal ceremony, it was in traditional Korean dress.
Pool A (25 September 1988)
Round One (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Kim Jae-Yeop |  KOR | Ippon (2:28) | Mohamed Madhar |  SUR |
| Match #2 | Alberto Francini |  SMR | Waza-ari-wasete Ippon (1:40) | Mohamed Kohsrof |  YAR |
| Match #3 | József Csák |  HUN | Waza-ari (5:00) | Marino Cattedra |  ITA |
Round Two (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Kim Jae-Yeop | KOR | Koka (5:00) | Amiran T'ot'ik'ashvili |  URS |
| Match #2 | Sérgio Pessoa |  BRA | Ippon (2:34) | Gilles Pages |  MON |
| Match #3 | Guno Berenstein |  NED | Ippon (0:19) | Alberto Francini | SMR |
| Match #4 | Helmut Dietz |  FRG | Keikoku (5:00) | Ireneusz Kiejda |  POL |
| Match #5 | József Csák | HUN | Koka (5:00) | Haldun Efemgil |  TUR |
| Match #6 | Ali Idir |  ALG | Ippon (1:33) | Phil Takahashi |  CAN |
| Match #7 | Pavel Botev |  BUL | Ippon (2:45) | Michalis Skouroumounis |  CYP |
| Match #8 | Patrick Roux |  FRA | Yusei-gachi (5:00) | Emad El-Said |  EGY |
Quarter-Finals (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Kim Jae-Yeop | KOR | Yusei-gachi (5:00) | Sérgio Pessoa | BRA |
| Match #2 | Helmut Dietz | FRG | Keikoku (5:00) | Guno Berenstein | NED |
| Match #3 | József Csák | HUN | Koka (5:00) | Ali Idir | ALG |
| Match #4 | Patrick Roux | FRA | Koka (5:00) | Pavel Botev | BUL |
Semi-Finals (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Kim Jae-Yeop | KOR | Ippon (3:27) | Helmut Dietz | FRG |
| Match #2 | Patrick Roux | FRA | Ippon (2:59) | József Csák | HUN |
Final Round (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Kim Jae-Yeop | KOR | Koka (5:00) | Patrick Roux | FRA |
Repêchage (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Amiran T'ot'ik'ashvili | URS | Ippon (0:17) | Mohamed Madhar | SUR |
| Match #2 | Amiran T'ot'ik'ashvili | URS | Ippon (1:57) | Sérgio Pessoa | BRA |
| Match #3 | Amiran T'ot'ik'ashvili | URS | Yuko (5:00) | Helmut Dietz | FRG |
| Match 3/4 | Amiran T'ot'ik'ashvili | URS | Yuko (5:00) | Patrick Roux | FRA |
Pool B (25 September 1988)
Round One (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Zhang Guojun |  CHN | Ippon (0:29) | Jerry Dino |  PHI |
| Match #2 | Neil Eckersley |  GBR | Ippon (2:19) | Luis Martínez |  PUR |
Round Two (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Zhang Guojun | CHN | Yusei-gachi (5:00) | Badrakhyn Nyamjav |  MGL |
| Match #2 | Renato Santos |  POR | Kiken-gachi (0:40) | Carlos Sotillo |  ESP |
| Match #3 | Salvador Hernández |  MEX | bye | ||
| Match #4 | Shinji Hosokawa |  JPN | Ippon (0:35) | Abbão Bartolomeu |  ANG |
| Match #5 | Neil Eckersley | GBR | Ippon (1:39) | Daniel Brunhart |  LIE |
| Match #6 | Sheu Tsay-Chwan |  TPE | Ippon (1:43) | Ricardo Belmonte |  BOL |
| Match #7 | Lee Kan |  HKG | Ippon (1:13) | Gilberto García |  DOM |
| Match #8 | Kevin Asano |  USA | Koka (5:00) | Petr Šedivák |  TCH |
Quarter-Finals (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Zhang Guojun | CHN | Yusei-gachi (5:00) | Renato Santos | POR |
| Match #2 | Shinji Hosokawa | JPN | Ippon (1:23) | Salvador Hernández | MEX |
| Match #3 | Sheu Tsay-Chwan | TPE | Ippon (2:43) | Neil Eckersley | GBR |
| Match #4 | Kevin Asano | USA | Ippon (0:24) | Lee Kan | HKG |
Semi-Finals (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Shinji Hosokawa | JPN | Ippon (0:42) | Zhang Guojun | CHN |
| Match #2 | Kevin Asano | USA | Ippon (2:57) | Sheu Tsay-Chwan | TPE |
Final Round (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Kevin Asano | USA | Yusei-gachi (5:00) | Shinji Hosokawa | JPN |
Repêchage (25 September 1988)
| Match #1 | Petr Šedivák | TCH | Ippon (2:27) | Lee Kan | HKG |
| Match #2 | Sheu Tsay-Chwan | TPE | Yusei-gachi (5:00) | Petr Šedivák | TCH |
| Match 3/4 | Shinji Hosokawa | JPN | Ippon (1:08) | Sheu Tsay-Chwan | TPE |
Final Round (25 September 1988)
| Match 1/2 | Kim Jae-Yeop | KOR | Shido (5:00) | Kevin Asano | USA |