Bacillus subtilis var. chungkookjang, accession no. KCTC 0697BP, a salt-resistant B. subtilis variant isolated from "chungkookjang," a traditional Korean fermented soy bean paste. This B. subtilis variant produces poly-gamma-glutamic acid (or poly-gamma-glutamate, .gamma.-PGA), an edible, soluble, anionic, and biodegradable high molecular-weight polymer. Bacillus subtilis var. chungkookjang produces .gamma.-PGA with a higher molecular weight than other extracellular .gamma.-PGAs derived from general Bacillus sp. strains. Accordingly, the .gamma.-PGA produced by Bacillus subtilis var. chungkookjang can be utilized for the development of high value-added products, such as cosmetics, absorption agents, and biodegradable plastic materials.