This study investigated the effect of red ginseng extract on metastasis of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Wound healing migration, cell motility, invasion, and activity, protein expression, and mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were examined in SW480 human colon cancer cells. SW480 cells were cultured with or without $100{mu}g/L$ PMA in the absence or presence of various concentrations (100, 200, or $300{mu}g/mL$) of red ginseng extract. Red ginseng extract treatment caused signifi cant suppression of cell motility and invasion (p<0.05) in SW480 cells. Red ginseng extract inhibited MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity and their protein and mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05) in SW480 cells. For experimental metastasis, BALB/c mice were injected intravenously with CT-26 mouse colon cancer cells in the tail vein, and were orally administered various concentrations (0, 75, 150, or 300 mg/kg body weight) of red ginseng extract for 3 weeks. Numbers of pulmonary nodules were signifi cantly decreased in mice that were fed red ginseng extract (p<0.05). Plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity signifi cantly decreased in response to treatment with red ginseng extract in mice (p<0.05). These data suggest that red ginseng extract may be useful for prevention of cancer invasion and metastasis through inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 pathways.