The population of older adults is dramatically increasing in South Korea. As the size of the aging population grows, one of the increasingly visible problems is marital conflict between elderly couples. Studies have not yet adequately approached this emerging issue. This study examined the problems associated with the violence, discusses relationships between sociodemographic factors and spouse abuse among elderly males, and discusses interventions needed to prevent marital violence among elderly couples. The socioeconomic variables analyzed were age, education, income, and employment. Data were extracted from the Korean National Family Violence Survey (KNFVS). The sample was chosen by stratified random sampling of the larger national sample of elderly couples in various cities, regions, and localities. The survey was conducted in June and July of 1997. The findings indicate that marital violence among Korean elderly couples is a very serious problem. Over one-fifth of the Korean elders experienced marital violence during the previous year. The prevalence rate of marital violence among the elderly couples found was surprisingly high when compared with American surveys. Wife abuse, which accounted for most cases of marital violence, was experienced by 21 percent of all Korean elders. Socioeconomic factors of the male elders were not associated with wife abuse. Marital violence among Korean elderly couples is suggested to be a universal phenomenon not specific to a certain socioeconomic class. This finding is a sign that the age-old culture of the male-chauvinistic practices of wife abuse is still lingering among many older husbands. Results indicate that Korean male elders with past wife abuse experience tend to use violence repeatedly. Social policies to prevent marital violence are needed to protect the couples. Intervention efforts to provide services for female victims and male perpetrators need to be developed and undertaken. Research needs to be extended to additional age groups including younger and middle-aged adults to incorporate a life-span development perspective on marital violence. 8 tables, 20 references