Harmful dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms have been frequently occurred in coastal areas of the East Sea since 1995. We compared the oceanic conditions in years 1995, 2001 and 2003 when the C. polykrikoides bloom was strong, and in years 1998 and 2004 when the C. polykrikoides bloom was not appeared. We studied temporal and spatial variation of upwelling and geostrophic currents on the western channel of Korean Strait, an entrance of the East Sea. The period and occurrence area of C. polykrikoides bloom was depended on variation of upwelling in summer. In the distributions of geostrophic current, southward current was dominant near the coast in August, 1998 and 2000. Whereas northward current was dominant near and off the coast in August, 1995 and 2003 which the C. polykrikoides bloom was strong. When compared dominant phytoplankton of the coastal areas in each year, Kuroshio indicator species Proboscia alata and Chaetoceros affine were dominant, respectively, in 2001 and 2003 at every stations. However, the dominant species was variable at each coastal area in 1998 and 2000. In 2003, the abundance of Sagitta elegans which is known as the cold water indicator was low, but the abundance of S. enflata, warm water indicator, was very high in Gangneung compared to Sokcho. It seemed that the distribution of S. elegans is restricted by strong warm water current. In conclusion, it was estimated that the distribution of C. polykrikoides bloom in the coastal area of the East Sea was closely related with the strength of East Korea Warm Current and upwelling.