The Women's 100 metres Hurdles at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entry list of 37 competitors, with five qualifying heats (37 runners), three second-rounds (24) and two semifinals (16) before the final (8) took place on Friday September 30, 1988.

[1] These were the standing World and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1988 Summer Olympics.

The following Olympic records were set during this competition.

Wind +0.2 Heat 1Wind +0.5 Heat 2Wind +0.5 First 4 of each heat (Q) and next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.

Wind: Heat 1 +1.3, Heat 2 +0.2, Heat 3 +1.0 First 4 of each heat (Q) and next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the quarterfinals.