Somatic embryos on growth regulator-free medium can be produced directly from cotyledon explants of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. When the embryo developmental stage was torpedo and cotyledon, the germination rate of embryos was quite high on MS medium supplemented with gibberellic acid ($GA_3$). However, the percentage of plantlet formation at the cotyledon stage was higher than that at the torpedo stage. This result demonstrates that the embryo at the cotyledon stage was the most appropriate for increasing germination by $GA_3$. Embryos cultured on medium including four levels of $GA_3$ concentrations (3, 5, 10, or 20 mg/$ell$) showed all quite high germination rates (87-91%). When the well-developed embryos were continuously cultured on media including high concentrations of $GA_3$ from 10 to 20 mg/$ell$, the percentage of formation of normal plantlets was lower than that seen under low concentrations from 3 to 5 mg/$ell$. This treatment of high concentrations resulted in shoots with abnormal shape. The optimal $GA_3$ treatment provides a basis for the efficient method obtaining healthy plantlets derived from ginseng somatic embryos.