To investigate the historical record of Alexandrium spp. in southern coastal areas of Korea, two sediment cores were collected from Gamak Bay and Yeoja Bay. Germination experiments revealed that the ellipsoidal Alexandrium cysts isolated from Gamak Bay and Yeoja Bay are morphologically identical to a toxic dinoflagellate A. tamarense. The ellipsoidal Alexandrium cysts in Yeoja Bay appeared from 30 to 32 cm depth upwards (ca. 1980s), and their concentration increased around 10 to 12 cm depth (mid-1990s). Similarly, cyst concentration in Gamak Bay also increased from 40 to 44 cm depth (ca. 1990s). These results coincide with the reports of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning caused by A. tamarense in 1980s and 1990s along the southeast coast of Korea.