A method of fabricating lithium cobalt oxide particles of a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery comprising lithium cobalt oxide particles, wherein the lithium cobalt oxide particles comprise at least one selected from Mg, and Zr as a dopant and Zr is primarily included in the outer bulk and Mg is mostly included in the inner bulk; the lithium cobalt oxide particles have a crystalline structure in which metal oxide layers (MO layers) including metals and oxygen and reversible lithium layers in which lithium ions move reversibly at the time of charge and discharge are repeatedly stacked, and the dopant and/or lithium ions move from octahedral sites to tetrahedral sites at the time of charge in a lattice configured by oxygen atoms of the MO layers adjacent to each other, thereby forming a lithium trap and/or a lithium dumbbell structure and providing structural stability meaning a capacity retention of greater than or equal to 90% after 30 cycles at 45 °C under a voltage of 4.5 V vs. Li/Li + , the method comprising (a) mixing a cobalt precursor, a lithium precursor, and a first doping precursor and then firing the same to synthesize first doping particles; (b) coating a second doping precursor on a surface of the first doping particles; and(c) heat treating the coated first doping particles to synthesize second doping particles which are lithium cobalt oxide particles; wherein the firing of the process (a) is performed at 900 °C to 1100 °C for 8 hours to 12 hours; and the heat treatment of the process (c) is performed at 700 °C to 900 °C for 1 hour to 6 hours. wherein the lithium cobalt oxide particles comprise at least one selected from Mg, and Zr as a dopant and Zr is primarily included in the outer bulk and Mg is mostly included in the inner bulk; the lithium cobalt oxide particles have a crystalline structure in which metal oxide layers (MO layers) including metals and oxygen and reversible lithium layers in which lithium ions move reversibly at the time of charge and discharge are repeatedly stacked, and the dopant and/or lithium ions move from octahedral sites to tetrahedral sites at the time of charge in a lattice configured by oxygen atoms of the MO layers adjacent to each other, thereby forming a lithium trap and/or a lithium dumbbell structure and providing structural stability meaning a capacity retention of greater than or equal to 90% after 30 cycles at 45 °C under a voltage of 4.5 V vs. Li/Li + , the method comprising (a) mixing a cobalt precursor, a lithium precursor, and a first doping precursor and then firing the same to synthesize first doping particles; (b) coating a second doping precursor on a surface of the first doping particles; and(c) heat treating the coated first doping particles to synthesize second doping particles which are lithium cobalt oxide particles; (a) mixing a cobalt precursor, a lithium precursor, and a first doping precursor and then firing the same to synthesize first doping particles; (b) coating a second doping precursor on a surface of the first doping particles; and(c) heat treating the coated first doping particles to synthesize second doping particles which are lithium cobalt oxide particles; wherein the firing of the process (a) is performed at 900 °C to 1100 °C for 8 hours to 12 hours; and the heat treatment of the process (c) is performed at 700 °C to 900 °C for 1 hour to 6 hours. <EOS>