The authors reviewed the history of creation and management, purposes, extents, methods of creation, planting species and mediums, structure of vegetation layers and legal management, etc. of coastal forests of Korea. Since the Goryeo dynasty, the inhabitants in the coastal regions has long been aware the safety from natural disasters and the local governments manages for the defence and natural disasters, and collaboration among GO and NGOs, as well as enterprises are participating to the conservation of coastal forests in Korea. The purposes of creation and management of coastal forests in historical aspects are prevention of disasters, safety by the Fengsui, military uses, and timber productions, but partly as the places for religious beliefs, safety from diseases and fires, increasing of forest products and fishes, as well as tourists, improving of amenity and landscapes and recreation, inherits of traditional culture, habitats for wildlife, and ecological corridors, etc. The inhabitant in the coastal region who experienced frequent natural disasters has strong supports for the conservation of coastal forest and as a natural resources to inherits to the coming generations as the coastal forests has high values of academic researches on human society, culture, ecology and recreational uses, etc. The extensive overall researches on the creation and managements of coastal forests, as well as cultural tradition in the coastal forests of Korean peninsula are critically essential.