Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a species that has devastated the United States and Canada. It is known to play a role in destroying the ecosystem. In this study, the domestic distribution of garlic mustard was confirmed and a detailed distribution map was created for the Samcheok region, where the largest population has been established in South Korea. This study investigated the growth environment, life cycle, and population dynamics of the species in the Samcheok region. Garlic mustard was found in a total of 301 locations in Samcheok, with a total distribution area of 2,957 square meters. Annual plants germinated in mid-April, overwintered in rosette form, underwent vegetative growth from April 10 to April 24 the following year, and flowered from April 24 to May 7. Individuals producing seeds began to die off from June. Both annual and biennial individuals showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing in number around April 27 (118 days). Garlic mustard grew well under favorable light conditions in early spring. They showed less growth on leaf litter, short distance from roads, lower altitude, deciduous broad-leaved forest of middle and lower parts of the slope and forest edge. Without proper control measures in the Samcheok region, it is likely to spread more rapidly in deciduous broad-leaved forests along hiking trails in the Galyasan Mountains. In particular, it is more likely to extend to oak community where light enters the site during flowering than to pine community where there is less light in the site.