This study was performed to investigate the physiological responses of Oplopanax elatus by water condition.Drought stress was induced by withholding water for 26 days. The results show that PN max, SPAD, gs, E and Ci weresignificantly decreased with decreasing of soil moisture contents. However, AQY and WUE were decreased slightly only at26 day. This implies that photosynthetic rate is reduced due to an inability to regulate water and CO₂exchange through thestomatal. According to JIP analysis, ΦPO, ΨO, ΦEO and PIABS were dramatically decreased at 21 day and 26 day, whichreflects the relative reduction state of the photosystem II. On the other hand, the relative activities per reaction center suchas ABS/RC, TRo/RC were significantly increased at 26 day. Particularly, Dio/RC and DIo/CS increased substantially underdrought stress, indicating that excessive energy was consumed by heat dissipation. These results of chlorophyll a fluores-cence show that the sensitivity changes photosystem II activity. Thus, according to the results, O. elatus was exhibited astrong reduction of photosynthetic activity to approximately 10% soil moisture contents, and JIP parameters could be usefulindicator to monitor the physiological states of O. elatus under drought stress.