The author has performed a comparative study of fruit quality, respiration rate and coloration during maturation and ripening of six Asian pear cultivars: 'Hanareum' and 'Wonwhang' (early-season cultivars), 'Chojuuro', 'Whasan', 'Manpungbae', and 'Niitaka' (mid-season cultivars). There were many physiological, physical and biochemical changes during fruit maturation and ripening process such as an increase of fruit weight. size, TSS, and total sugar, and decrease of skin chlorophyll, acidity, and starch in Asian pear fruits. The respiration rate during ripening of Asian pears was low and only increased by as much as 2 mL/kg/hr regardless of cultivar. Although the level of ethylene and CO2 production was low which represent typical non-climacteric respiratory pattern in some cultivars, Asian pears normally showed the contlnuouse decrease in flesh firmness during ripening in all cultivars.