Modernism in architecture is a very complex and contradictory phenomena. So much so that it has been defined in various ways throughout the history, depending on one's position in the cultural and historical circumstances. It is thus necessary to map out the various concepts of modernism and their relationships in order to have a more comprehensive understanding of modern architecture. This paper attempts to define the various positions as functionalism, formalism and artistic avant-gardism, and to trace their history from the early twentieth century to the present. The change of the concept of modernism from functionalism to artistic avant-gardism seems a logical process in the history of western modem culture. The tendency of contemporary architecture to be more abstract and self referential artistic practice reflects the fragmentation of modern culture and the separation of art and technology. The validity of this position, of course, depends on how one evaluates the role of modern art in the situation of modern culture. It could be viewed either negatively or positively. However, this position is problematic in that it disregards the fundamental differences between architecture and other arts and distanced architecture farther from its material base. Given this historical perspective on the concept of modernism, modernism in Korea should not viewed simply identical to the western modernism, nor should western modernism be imported uncritically. The characteristics of her modernization and their differences from the west should be considered, along with the different status and role of architecture in korean modern society.