Ninety samples showing mosaic symptoms on soybean (Glycine max) cv. Sukryangputkong were collected from the Cheongsongkun area, Kyungbuk province in Korea. Initially, DAS-ELISA was conducted for detection of Soybean mosaic virus (SMV). Negative samples were chosen at random and mechanically inoculated on soybean cv. Buffalo, which reported not to produce mosaic symptoms when mechanically inoculated with SMV. An isolate of SMV, designated as B-1, from Buffalo showing mosaic and mottle symptoms was used for identification and biological characterization of the causal virus. The purified B-1 isolate had spherical particles of approximately 24 nm. It positively reacted with the antiserum against Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) but not with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and SMV antisera. CPMV was newly isolated from soybean and had been characterized by host range and by serological and electron microscopic methods. Results of this study suggest that CPMV is the possible cause of mosaic disease in vegetable soybean and that based on symptomatology, a difference between the typical mosaic and rugose symptoms caused by SMV and CPMV was observed. This is first report of CPMV from soybean in Korea.