Middle-aged men are at high risk of depression and related mental health problems. The purpose of this study is to develop a Korean version of the European Union initiative to compare symptoms of depression (EURO-D) scale and verify its reliability and validity to assess the severity of depression in middle-aged men. The Korean version of the EURO-D tool, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were employed. Item difficulty was evaluated by item response theory, and we found that there were neither very easy nor difficult items. Test-retest reliability was high. Convergent validity and discriminant validity were both confirmed. The application of the Korean version of the EURO-D scale can guide the screening, diagnosis and treatment of depression in middle-aged men and provide insights for mental health research, as well as clinical practice.