Disclosed herein are an HIF-1 inhibitor, a method for the preparation thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same as an active ingredient. The HIF-1 inhibitor shows anticancer activity thanks to the inhibition activity against HIF-1, a transcription factor which plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of cancer, but not to general cytotoxicity. Thus, the HIF-inhibitor and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof can be used as a therapeutic for various cancers such as liver cancer; stomach cancer and breast cancer. Also, the compound having inhibition activity against HIF-1 is useful in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and arthritis, which are aggravated by HIF-1-mediated VEGF expression.