Using a new culture method for unculturable soil bacteria, strain NB5(T) was isolated from forest soil at Kyonggi University, and characterized taxonomically on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence as well as phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics. The novel strain was a Gram- and catalase-positive, rod-shaped bacterium, which grew in the pH range 6.0-9.5 (optimum, 6.5-9.5) and at temperatures between 15°C and 45°C (optimum, 25-40°C). Growth was possible at 0-5% NaCl (optimum, 0% to 3%) in nutrient, Luria-Bertani, and trypticase soy broths (TSB), as well as R2A medium (with optimal growth in TSB). A phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the novel strain was affiliated with the genus Paenibacillus and had 96.8% and 96.5% similarity to P. nanensis MX2-3(T) and P. agaridevorans DSM 1355(T), respectively. The predominant menaquinone in NB5(T) was MK-7; the major fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0; and the DNA G+C content was 54.5 mol%. We propose this strain as a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, and suggest the name Paenibacillus pinesoli sp. nov. (type strain, KACC 17472(T)=KEMB 9005-025(T)=JCM 19203(T)).