We examined breakfast patterns and preferences in 420 elementary school students (216 boys, 206 girls) in the Chung-nam area. About thirty percent of the subjects had breakfast irregularly. The main reasons for skipping breakfast were having a ‘poor appetite’ and being ‘busy’. The person who prepared breakfast was the ‘mother’ in both groups. Subjects were satisfied with ‘Korean style’ menu but dissatisfied with ‘rice porridge-style’. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the ‘frequency of having breakfast’ was positively related to the subject’s ‘frequency of having breakfast with their mother’. On the other hand, the frequency of having breakfast was negatively related to feeling obligated to have breakfast. The multiple regression analysis also indicated that a Korean style ‘breakfast preference’ was positively related to the mother’s age and negatively related to their ‘wake-up time’. A ‘breakfast preference for bread and milk’ was positively related to ‘bed time’ and negatively related to the ‘age of the father’. Our results will provide critical information for the nutritional education of elementary school students.