We investigated the characteristics of air-and vacuum-drying heated by hot plates for 8~14cm-diameter logs or 6~12cm-thick pillars of Pinus koraiensis. And we evaluated the effects of longitudinal kerf and vacuum drying heated by hot plates. The vacuum drying times from green to 10.9~18.6% MC were 15 days, and these times were one-fifth compared to the air-drying times. The longitudinal kerfing had no significant, effect on drying rates during both air-drying and vacuum drying. But drying defects such as surface checks and V-shaped cracks were effectively prevented during air-drying and vacuum drying by longitudinal kerfing. The vacuum drying was more advantageous than air-drying for preventing of surface checks, end checks and V-shaped cracks, and especially, the vacuum dried pillars with longitudinal kerf were almost free from drying defects. In accelerated weathering conditions the resin did not exude for all specimens.