Hepatic lipase is a key enzyme that is involved in HDL-C metabolism. The goal of this study was to find out the frequency of the hepatic lipase C514T polymorphism, and evaluate its relationship with plasma HDL-C levels and coronary artery disease (CAD) in Koreans. Two hundred and twenty four subjects with no previous history of lipid-lowering therapy, 118 patients with significant CAD, and 106 controls were examined with respect to their genotypes, lipid profiles, and other risk factors for CAD. The frequency of the -514T allele was 0.37 in men and 0.35 in women, which were higher than the frequency that was reported in Caucasians, but lower than the frequency that was reported in African-Americans. The -514T allele was associated with significantly higher HDL-C levels in women. After controlling for age, gender, BMI, DM, and smoking, the non-CC genotype was significantly associated with HDL-C levels, and explained 6% of the HDL-C variation in this study. When the genotypes-distribution was compared between the CAD and non-CAD patients, the hepatic lipase C-514T polymorphism was not associated with the presence of CAD. Koreans have a higher frequency of the hepatic lipase gene 514T allele than Caucasians, and the -514T allele is associated with higher plasma HDL-C levels in Korean women, and perhaps non-smoking men. However, our data does not suggest an association between the polymorphism and an increased risk of CAD.