Manganese is an essential nutrient for human metabolism; however, few studies have been conducted to establish the dietary recommended intake (DRI) for manganese. The purpose of this study is to provide data that can inform the manganese intake level and address the RI by analyzing the manganese intake of 513 young Korean adults and evaluating the blood levels and estimated manganese balance of 51 selected subjects. The average age of the total subjects was 22.6 years for men and 21.6 years for women. The average daily energy intake was 1,758.50 kcal for men and 1,578.5 kcal for women. In addition, the daily manganese intake was 3,772.7 mu g for men and 3,444.2 mu g for women. The manganese intake of all subjects was lower than the tolerable upper intake. The manganese intake, excretion through urine and feces, retention amount, and retention rate of the selected subjects were 2,922.8 mu g, 2,612.2 mu g, 331.1 mu g, and 6.7%, respectively, with no significant difference between men and women except urinary excretion (0.34 mu g for men vs. 0.18 mu g for women, p < 0.05). The manganese intake was positively related with the intakes of food, energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Also, the manganese retention amount was positively related with the intakes of energy, protein, and fat. These results show that both food intake and energy intake are important factors for manganese intake and retention.