There have been conflicting data about the interactions between vancomycin and beta-lactam agents against Staphylococcus aureus strains with heterogeneous resistance to vancomycin. We evaluated the efficacy of these combinations against Mu 3 and heterogeneously vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (hetero-VRSA) strains which were isolated from Korean patients using a population analysis method. Antagonistic effects were observed when less than 1 g/mL of beta-lactam antibiotics was combined with vancomycin, whereas synergistic effects were noticed with more than 4 microgram/mL of beta-lactam antibiotics. The antagonistic effects at low concentrations of beta-lactams were most prominent at 2 microgram/mL of vancomycin, which were the vancomycin MICs of tested hetero-VRSA strains. This study showed the variable effects of vancomycin- beta-lactam combinations depending on the concentrations of beta-lactam antibiotics and this property could be used to develop screening methods for hetero-VRSA strains.