Cornus controversa is a long-lived woody species mostly distributed in East Asia. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of Korean populations of this species. A high level of genetic variation was found in seven populations of C. controversa. The mean genetic diversity (H) was 0.222 across populations, varying from 0.200 to 0.238. Eighty of the 93 loci (86.0%) showed detectable polymorphism in at least one population. Total genetic diversity values ($H_T$) varied between 0.192 and 0.231, giving an average overall polymorphic loci of 0.212. The interlocus variation of genetic diversity within populations ($H_S$) was high (0.167). Mean of genetic diversity in C. controversa was higher than average values for species with similar life history traits. The sexual reproduction, perennial habitat, and longevity are proposed as possible factors contributing to high genetic diversity. On a per locus basis, the proportion of total genetic variation due to differences among populations ($G_{ST}$) ranged from 0.169 to 0.278 with a mean of 0.216, indicating that about 21.6% of the total genetic variation was among populations. An indirect estimate of the number of migrants per generation (Nm=1.893) indicated that gene flow was extensive among Korean populations of C. controversa.