The study region refers to a cool temperate zone, Asia monsoon climate. The annual mean air temperature and precipitation in Korea and Japan sites were 7.2~11.5 °C and 1,332~2,079 mm, respectively. The Gwangneung forest was located in a remote rural area, 30-km north of Seoul, at Gyeonggido, in the west-central portion of the Korean peninsula. The Takayama forest was located in Gifu prefecture, central Japan. In Gwangneung forest, CO₂ efflux from soil surface (R_S) was measured using a portable system (EGM-4) in a coniferous evergreen (Abies holophylla) and a broad-leaved deciduous (dominated Quercus mongolica) forests. In Takayama forest, R_S was measured using a chamber system based on an open-flow method in a mature secondary deciduous forest (dominated Betula and Quercus) and using a portable system (LI-6400) in a young deciduous forest and a young Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation. In addition, R_S was also measured using a chamber system with automatic open and closing method in a mature cedar plantation. The R_S for the six temperate stands were moderate in late spring, increased sharply to a peak in summer and decreased in autumn. In six temperate forests, soil temperature exerted principle control on the seasonal and annual variation of R_S. Finally, estimations of the annual R_S for six stands are presented.