BACKGROUND: Forest soils contain microbes capable of consuming atmospheric methane ($CH_4$), an amount matching the annual increase in $CH_4$ concentration in the atmosphere. However, the effect of plant residue production by different forest structure on $CH_4$ oxidation is not studied in Korea. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Korean alpine soils having different forestation structure on $CH_4$ uptake rates. METHODS AND RESULTS: the $CH_4$ flux was measured at three sites dominated with pine, chestnut and oak trees in southern Korea. The $CH_4$ uptake potentials were evaluated by a closed chamber method for a year. The $CH_4$ uptake rate was the highest in the pine tree soil ($1.05mg/m^2/day$) and then followed by oak ($0.930mg/m^2/day$) and chestnut trees ($0.497mg/m^2/day$). The $CH_4$ uptake rates were highly correlated to soil organic matter and moisture contents, and total microbial and methanotrophs activities. Different with the general concent, there was no any correlation between $CH_4$ oxidation rates, and soil temperature and labile carbon concentrations, irrespective with tree species. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, the methane oxidation rate was correlated in positive manner with organic matter, abundance of methanotrophs. Methane oxidation was different among tree species. This results could be used to estimate methane oxidation rate in forest of Korea after complementing information about statistical data and methane oxidation of other site.