The leachate from landfill (Andong city) contaminated by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) contains 44%-50% hydrophilic organic matter, compared with 22%-27% in natural water bodies such as ground water, lake water, and river water. In such natural water, the organic matter content is reduced by the metabolism of microbes in the water. However, in the case of leachate-1 and -2, the concentrations of RTOC (refractory total organic carbon) and RDOC (refractory dissolved organic carbon) were higher than the initial TOC and DOC after burial. According to time elapsed after burial, the concentrations of RTOC and RDOC were decreased below the initial TOC and DOC. In the case of leachate-6 (386 days after burial), RDOC made up 91% of RTOC. This result shows that organic matter in the leachate was composed dominantly of RDOM, most of which was not removed by the metabolism of microbes. Hence, the presence and characteristics of RDOM provide a valuable indication of the effect of leachate on the quality of surface water and ground water. Such information is useful in understanding leachate environments.