OBJECTIVE To assess the association of SLC12A3 and SCNN1B gene polymorphisms (rs11643718 and rs12447134) with essential hypertension among ethnic Koreans from Mudanjiang, China. METHODS For 204 patients with essential hypertension and 186 healthy controls, the genotypes of rs11643718 and rs12447134 loci were determined with an improved multiplex ligase detection reaction (iMLDR) method. RESULTS Allelic and genotypic frequencies of rs11643718 of SLC12A3 gene are associated with the onset of disease hypertension (P <0.05) as well as systolic blood pressure (P < 0.01, under a recessive model). No association was found between rs12447134 of SCNN1B gene with the onset of disease (P > 0.05) but diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05, under a recessive model). CONCLUSION The polymorphisms of rs11643718 locus is associated with the susceptibility for essential hypertension among ethnic Koreans from Mudanjiang area and can be used as a predictor for the disease.