This paper aimed to identify the lactic acid bacteria species involved in kimchi fermentation at different fermentation periods by using culture-independent 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, and develop polymerase chain reaction for the detection of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). We investigated 6 commercially produced kimchi samples, including kimchi at an initial stage of fermentation and kimchi that was fermented to an over-ripened stage. The results of our study show that the analysis with culture-independent 16S rRNA gene clone libraries could successfully identify 134 clones, 11 species, including Weissella, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Leuconostoc from the 6 commercial kimchi samples. Weisella koreensis and Lactobacillus brevis were the predominant LAB in the initial stage of kimchi fermentation at $4^{circ}C$ (pH 4.96-5.27 and acidity 0.81-0.88), and Leuconostoc gelidum and Lactobacillus sakei subsp. sakei may play an important role in kimchi fermentation at the over-ripened stage (pH 3.61-3.91 and acidity 1.70-1.79).