This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin E levels on carcass characteristics and vitamin E contents, fatty acid composition and lipid oxidation as indicated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) of the longissimus muscle in Hanwoo steers. Forty Hanwoo steers were randomly assigned to one of four groups and fed the diet containing 200(control), 1000, 2000 or 2500 IU a(alpha)-tocopherol acetate/head/day for 3 months of last finishing period. Backfat thickness was thinner and beef fat color was whiter(P<0.05) in steers fed the vitamin E supplemented diets than those fed the control diet. But the longissimus muscle area and yield grade did not differ among treatments. Marbling score and quality grade were higher(P<0.05) in steers fed the diets containing 1000 and 2000 IU vitamin E than those fed the other diets. Vitamin E concentration in the longissimus muscle was higher(P<0.05) as the vitamin E content in diet was higher. The levels of oleic and linoleic acids in the longissimus muscle were not affected by dietary vitamin E levels. But linolenic and arachidonic acids were lower in steers fed the vitamin E supplemented diets than those fed the control diet. TBARS in the longissimus muscle was not affected by the vitamin E levels in diet until 5th day of storage but delayed muscle lipid oxidation in steers fed the vitamin E supplemented diets after 7th day of storage. Therefore according to this result, it may be concluded that steers have a higher quality grade and higher vitamin E concentration in muscle and lower in TBARS when diet contains 1000 or 2000 IU vitamin E per kg of diet.