This study was performed to investigate and assess the heavy metal contamination of sediment in main stream and tributaries of the Han-river in the vicinity of Seoul. Sediment were sampled at eight locations of main stream and eighteen locations of tributaries in the spring, summer, and fall in 1993. Six heavy metals of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Hg, were assessed. For an assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediment, the assessment method of Hakanson was modified to estimate for Han-river, then classification method of Muller in sediment quality was applied. For an assessment of contamination in each heavy metal, Contamination factor C$_f^i$ which was defined the ratio of concentration of i heavy metal in investigated location to background concentration of i heavy metal in uncontaminated upper area was used. The sediment quality in each heavymetal was classified as follows if C$_f^i$<1, Class I for Non contamination, if 1 < C$_f^i$ < 3, Class II for Low contamination, if 3< C$_f^i$ <6, Class III for Moderate contamination, if 6< C$_f^i$ <12, Class IV for Considerable contamination, and if C$_f^i$ > 12, Class V for High contamination.(abbreviation)