The monograph examines the experience of South Korea's transition of an authoritarian regime to a socially and cost-effective democracy. The general problems and stages of political and socio-economic modernization of the country, the specifics of the manifestation of the basic elements of democracy in the conditions of traditional South Korean society are considered. The initial conditions and content of the democratic process in the 80s are studied, the democratization of South Korea in the last decade of the 20th century is analyzed, in particular the democratic doctrine of modern South Korean leadership, as well as the prospects for the formation of civil society in the country.