The generic position of two isolates from soils inside a gold mine cave in Kongju, Korea, was determined by 16S rDNA sequencing and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that both of the isolates formed a clade with Lentzea albidocapillata and members of the genus Saccharothrix of the family Pseudonocardiaceae. The chemical composition of the isolates and of Lentzea albidocapillata was consistent with that of the genus Saccharothrix, which is characterized by a type III cell wall (the meso-isomer of diaminopimelic acid, and galactose and rhamnose as characteristic whole-cell sugars), MK-9(H4) as the major menaquinone, and a phospholipid type PII pattern (phosphatidylethanolamine as a diagnostic phospholipid). The combination of morphological features, chemotaxonomic characters and phylogenetic data supported the proposal that Lentzea albidocapillata, the only and type strain of the genus Lentzea, should be transferred to the genus Saccharothrix. On the basis of physiological properties, cellular fatty acid composition and DNA-DNA hybridization data, two new species within the genus Saccharothrix are proposed: Saccharothrix violacea sp. nov., type strain LM 036T (= IMSNU 50388T), and Saccharothrix albidocapillata comb. nov., type strain DSM 44073T (=IMSNU 21253T).