The small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) is one of the representative high-class fish species in Korea. The catch of small yellow croaker in adjacent water fisheries has been continuously decreasing from 59,226 tons in 2011 to 19,271 tons in 2016. The small yellow croaker is caught by gillnet, stow net and bottom trawl, among which about 55~65% is caught by gillnet. For the sustainable use of small yellow croaker, the fishing power of small yellow croaker drift gillnet is very important. Therefore, the change of fishing power index were analyzed to identify the development of the vessel and gear technology that may have improved the fishing efficiency of the small yellow croaker drift gillnet fishery from 1960s to 2010s. Gross tonnage and horse power per fishing vessel was increased annually. The mesh size was 75.0 mm in the 1960s, but reduced to 60.6 mm in the 1980s and to 51.0 mm in the 2000s. In the 1960s, it was hauled out by manpower. However, the net hauler were modernized and supply rate was also increased since 1970. Due to the mechanization of the net hauler, the number (length) of used net gradually increased from 1.5 km in the 1960s to 7.5 km in the mid-1980s and to 15 km in 2010. Colour fish finders and positioning system were introduced and utilized from the mid-1980s. Surveys on the supply and upgrading of fishing equipment utilized visiting research. Therefore, the relative fishing power index in the small yellow croaker drift gillnet fishery increased from 1.0 in 1980 to 0.8 in 1970, to 1.1 in 1990, to 1.6 in 2000 and to 1.9 in 2010. The results are expected to contribute to reasonable fisheries stock management of the small yellow croaker drift gillnet fishery.