AFLPS (amplified fragment length polymorphisms) were used to estimate the genetic diversity of seven populations of Brassica campestis L. ssp. napus var. nippo-oleifera Makino between naturalized and cultivated populations. The seven Korean populations maintained a high level of genetic diversity. For example, all eight primers were high polymorphic, with an average of 3.2 effective alleles per primer set, and the expected heterozygosity was also high. The majority of genetic variance resided within populations The combinations of an insect-pollinated, outcrossing breeding system, large populations sizes, a high degree of gene flow and a propensity for high fecundity may explain the high level of genetic diversity within cultivated populations. Estimates of genetic similarity on the proportion of shared fragments ranged from 0.952 to 0.999. The high level of gene flow In Korean naturalized populations is mainly caused by seed dispersal via sea tide and the gene flow of cultivated populations may be enhanced in part by artificial pollen dispersal.