Amino acid composition in grain of Korean native rice core collections was evaluated to identify the useful genotypes for quality enhancing rice breeding and value-added food development. Large variations were found in the contents of 16 amino acids among 388 genotypes tested with 14.9% of the minimum coefficient of variation (CV), and the contents of methionine and histidine showed the highest CV and the second high, respectively. The average values of total amino acid, total essential amino acid, lysine and threonine contents of Korean native rice collections were almost similar with those of cultivating japonica rice, Saechucheong. Among 388 native core collections Baekkokna, Daesona and Saducho were identified as high amino acid germplasm in total amino acid, total essential amino acid, lysine and threonine contents. And Seoksanjo and Sodujo were identified as low amino acid collections. Rice collections showing purple apiculus color tended to distribute in lower serine, proline, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, arginine, and total amino acid contents compared with those of yellowish apiculus color collections. The glutinous rice collections showed the tendency of higher contents of serine, glutamic acid, alanine, valine and leucine compared with those of non-glutinous collections.