PURPOSE: This study was to identify priority areas of nursing research in Korea. METHOD: A data analysis was done for the PhD subjects (n=133) who responded at the national level two-rounds delphi survey. Subjects were asked to assign a score from 1 to 7 for 29 nursing research areas regarding 3 aspects: the degree of nurses research leadership; the degree of contribution to nursing professions; and the degree of contribution to health and welfare of patients/clients. RESULT: For the overall three aspects, research area on clinical nursing practice was identified as the first priority, followed by nursing education, home health nursing, nursing research, and chronic disease. For nursing research leadership, research area on clinical nursing practice, nursing education, home health nursing, nursing research, and nursing diagnosis were identified. Concerning contribution to the nursing profession, the first priority was nursing education, followed by clinical nursing practice, nursing research, nursing policy, and home health nursing. Concerning contribution to the health/welfare of patients, clinical nursing practice, home health care, geriatric nursing, chronic disease, and symptom management were ranked as top 5 research priorities. CONCLUSION: The findings of this national survey will assist in building insights into the research needs of nurses practicing in Korea.