This study was carried out to investigate the characters of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from food, animal feces, dry cattle food, and the environment in Seoul and Kyonggi province during the period from 1998 to 2003. Serotyping of 70 L. monocytogenes isolates was performed according to the manufacturer's instruction. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by the microdilution method according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. All the isolates were tested against 20 antimicrobial agents. The serotypes of the 70 L. monocytogenes isolates were 1/2c (62.8%), 1/2a (20%) and 1/2b (17.2%). Of the 70 L. monocytogenes isolates, 67.1%, 57.1%, 11.4%, 5.7%, 2.8%, 1.4% and 1.4% were resistant to tetracycline (Te), minocycline (Mi), norfloxacin (Nor), ciprofloxacin (Cip), neomycin (N), chloramphenicol (C) and cephalothin (Cf), respectively. However, all isolates were 100% sensitive to antibiotics such as amikacin, ampicillin, erythromycin, gentamycin, imipenem, kanamycin, ofloxcin, streptomycin, penicillin, trimethoprim, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, tobramycin, and vancomycin. Multiple resistance patterns of the isolates were observed in TeMiNor Cip (1.4%), TeMiNor (7.1%), TeMiCip (2.9%), TeMiN (1.4%) and TeMi (44.3%). The results of this study indicate that many L. monocytogenes isolates are resistant to antimicrobial agents including Te and Mi. The possibility that the isolates could increasingly acquire multiple antimicrobial resistant properties cannot be precluded.