In order to study the community structure and distribution pattern of macrobenthos in the subtidal area of Shia Sea between Haenam peninsula and Shinan-Jindo area at southwest coast of Korea, duplicate sediment samples were taken seasonally by van Veen grab (surface area, 0.1 m2) from 49 stations between November 2001 and August 2002. The surface sediment facies were muddy sandy gravel near Mokpo-Gu channel, gravel in the Myoungrang channel with high tidal currents, and sandy muddy in the southern Uido area. Ignition loss in the sediment ranged from 0.5 to 1.5% with a mean of 0.6%. A total of 271 taxa were collected with a mean density of 166 ind.m-2 and a mean biomass of 29.2 gm-2. Polychaetes were dominant faunal group in terms of species richness and abundance, accounting for 34% and 40% of total species number and abundance, respectively. Molluscs accounted for 44% of biomass. Bio-Env analysis revealed that sediment composition and ignition loss affected the spatial distribution of subtidal macrobenthic community in the study area. Major dominant species were Photis longicaudata, Septifer keenae, Maldane cristata, Lumbrineris longifolia, Heteromastus filiformis and Coptothyris grayi. Based on cluster analysis, four station groups were classified. They were associated with sediment types. Bivalve, Striarca symmetrica, polychaetes, Glycera chirori, Heteromastus filiformis and decapod Latreutes planirostris were major contributing fauna in station group A, B, C, and D, respectively. These results suggest that macrobenthic community of the Shia Sea is normally influenced by sediment type and related ignition loss.