Highly lethal Listeria monocytogenes, causing bromatoxism through vegetables, dairy products, meat products and shellfish etc, was examined for possible contamination in market beef. USDA, FDA, Malthus and Modified Cold Enrichment methods were used for the detection of Listeria spp.. Samples of domestic and imported market beef were collected from local meat shops at Seoul, Korea. Total two hundreds and six of Listeria spp. were isolated and identified from beef samples. L. welshimeri was the most abundant Listeria species in market beef. Among 206 isolates, the number of L. welshimeri was one hundred and twenty-one(44.8%). The numbers of isolated L. innocua, L. murrayi, L. monocytogenes, L. grayi, L. seeligeri, and L. ivanovii were 49(18.1%), 14(5.2%), 12 (4.4%), 6(2.2%), 2(0.7%), and 2(0.7%), respectively. Detection rates of Listeria spp. varied among four methods. The highest detection rate of Listeria spp. in market beef was found at USDA method and that of L. monocytogenes was found at Malthus method.