Concern about water quality and pollution was heightened as contaminants flowed into the Namhan River downstream of the Chungju Dam. Thus, this study calculated the Real-Time Water Quality Index (RTWQI) using monthly average water quality monitoring data for major tributaries that require water quality control, which were obtained between 2010 and 2019. To review the applicability of the RTWQI for water quality assessment in the major tributaries of the Namhan River, it was compared with the living environment standard river. The calculated RTWQI result indicated that Bokhacheon, with 59 points, was in the “fair” grade, and this stream was identified as a tributary that preferentially requires water quality improvement as it showed a decreasing (-) tendency of RTWQI. A comparison between RTWQI and the living environment standard of T-P showed that the categories of “completely coincident” and “different by one grade” accounted for 45% of the total, and the water quality of major tributaries was assessed as low. Therefore, the RTWQI, which applies comprehensive water quality parameters and has higher reliability than assessing a single water quality parameter, was determined to be efficient for water quality assessment of the major tributaries of the Namhan River.