Issues related to the elderly have been recognized in Korea and nursing schalors have tried to study these issues. It is hard to say which the direction we, are going or have to go, since there has been little systemic effort to establish gerontological nursing field yet. Therefore, it is necessary to find out the trend and the guidelines of gerontolotical nursing studies for the future. Dissertation and published articles related to the elderly in the nursing field from 1991 to the Feburary of 1997 were are reviewed. Total 127 studies were analysed in terms of concept, design/methodology, and results, and the nature and issues of the gerontologic nursing studies in Korea were explored. The results are as follows : 1. There was no clear chronological definition of the elderly. 2. The most popular research design was an exploratory/descriptive study. 3. The major concepts studied were physical and mental health. 4. Among those studies using instruments which were developed and modified and/or translated by researchers, the reliability and validity were rarely reported. 5. Theory based studies were rare. We suggest the following issues for future studies : 1. The chronological and other criteria related to the defition of elderly is needed. 2. Physiopsychosocial characteristics of Korean elderly and their mangements in terms of intervention studies need to be conducted more systemically. 3. Social issues from the change of types and functions of family such as single elderly family need to be studied. 4. Participation in and collaborate with other disciplins are needed. 5. Development and test of instruments to measure phenomena or concepts is needed. 6. Macroscopic approach such as policy also needed. 7. Theory based studies are needed