Russia was traditionally an agricultural country where feudal order was maintained. It was only in the 1930s that the serious attempt to industrialize Russia began. The agriculture was collectivized and the economy was administered by the state through central planning. However, in the 1970s and 1980s the productivity in Russia relatively fell behind the productivity in the capitalist countries and radical reform was needed in order to revitalize the soviet economy. The radical reform, that is the 'introduction of market economy' into the soviet system, brought about significant political, economic, social and cultural changes.
Russian society is no longer a static and non-elastic society, and it gains relative dynamics.
This meant that Russian people is no longer a domesticated and obedient nation as it had been under the Tzar and Soviet regime. The purpose of this research is to analyze the characteristics of the civil society which was formed by the social changes in Korea and Russia in the recent 10-20 years. Although these two states had a different social system in the past, now both society contains ruling elites, laborers, peasants and middle class, and at present these social groups express self- interest more clearly and seek to confront or to cooperate with each other in the sphere of civil society. The analysis of the characteristics of the social changes and civil society in both countries will make it feasible to forecast the prospects of Korea and Russia.