In spite of the large amount of rice consumption in Korea, only a few studies have been undertaken to discover element concentrations in rice through a nation-wide survey in Korea (Moon et al., 1995, Jung and Thornton, 1997 and Jung et al., 2005). Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate As and heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) concentrations in paddy soils and rice grains affected from previous mining activities and assess the potential health risks of the inhabitants who consumed locally produced rice.