This study aimed to evaluate the safety (hemolysis and enzyme activity), probiotic properties (gastrointestinal tract tolerance, adhesion, hydrophobicity, and auto‐aggregation), and functional characteristics (antimicrobial, antioxidant, and β ‐galactosidase activities) of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), isolated from kimchi, in order to select a multifunctional LAB strain for starter culture in fermented food. The five isolated strains included Lactobacillus plantarum WiKim83, L . plantarum WiKim84, Pediococcus pentosaceus WiKim85, P . pentosaceus WiKim86, and L . plantarum WiKim87, as identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis; they were confirmed to be nonhemolytic and not able to produce β ‐glucuronidase, a carcinogenic enzyme. Probiotic properties of the five LAB strains were evaluated relative to those of commercial Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, and results revealed probiotic potential of three strains ( L . plantarum WiKim83, L . plantarum WiKim84, and L . plantarum WiKim87) to be superior. L . plantarum WiKim84 showed high antimicrobial activity against pathogens, and L . plantarum WiKim83 exhibited the highest antioxidant and β ‐galactosidase activities. Based on the probiotic and functional properties, the main characteristics of each strain were highlighted and two of them, L . plantarum WiKim83 and L . plantarum WiKim87, were selected as the most potent by principal component analysis. These strains showed antimicrobial, β ‐galactosidase, and antioxidant activities, which recommend their suitability as starter culture in various fermented foods.