Recently, limit state design (LSD) in geotechnical engineering has been developed through LRFD in North America and Eurocode 7 in Europe. LRFD is an approach that estimates resistance by design model and that multiplies resistance factor by calculated resistance to reflect the uncertainty of materials and design models. Whereas, Eurocode 7 employs the partial resistance factor applied directly to each variable in resistance equation that individual soil properties such as cohesion and angle of internal friction are applied. Current methods of estimating characteristic value were discussed with the marine clay of Korea within the framework of characteristic value which has globally argued during the processing of development of Eurocode 7 for geotechnical design.