The clinical analysis was done in 304 cases of foreign bodies in the food and air passages encountered in the Department of Otolaryngology, Chonnam University Hospital during 5 years, from Jan. 1983 to Apr. 1988. The results are as follows : 1) In the 304 cases, there were foreign bodies of 253 cases in the food passage and those of 51 cases in the air passage. The foreign bodies of the food passage outnumbered those of the air passage, approximately 5 : 1. 2) The frequency of foreign bodies in the food passage was as follows : coin, 91 cases(35.9%) ; Fish bone, 69 cases(27.3%) ; animal bone, 27 cases(10.6%) ; metal, 27 cases(10.6%). Bean and peanut(27 cases, 52.9%) were the most common foreign bodies in the air passage. 3) Male outnumbered female, approximatley 3 : 2 in the food passage and 2 : 1 in the air passage. 4) The 41.5%(105 cases) of all esophageal foreign bodies occurred under the age of 5 years and significant numbers(52 cases, 20.5%) were found in group over the age of 51 years. The 72.5% of foreign bodies(37 cases) of air passage occurred under the age of 5 years. 5) The most common foreign body, coin(91 cases, 29.9%) was found mainly under the age of 5 years(76 cases, 83.5%). 6) The 75.1%(190 cases) of foreign bodies in the food passage was in the 1st narrowing of esophagus ; 20.9%(53 cases), in the 2nd narrowing ; 4.0%(10 cases), in the 3rd narrowing. In the air passage, the frequent loci were bronchus, trachea and glottis in order. The bronchial foreign bodies were found more common in right bronchus than left in the ratio of approximately 3 : 2. 7) The 79.4%(201 cases) of foreign bodies in the food passage and 45.1%(23 cases) in the air passage were removed out within a day.