This article deals with the inter-relationship between bureaucrats and politicians from the perspective how the interplay of bureaucratic autonomy and reform resistance changes when a regime shift from authoritarianism to democratization, and vice versa, happens. In an authoritarian regime, politicians can easily control the bureaucracy at the cost of bureaucratic autonomy. On the contrary, greater autonomy which bureaucrats enjoy in democratic governance can accompany the problem of bureaucratic resistance to necessary reform for administrative modernization. The Korean case (Korea1987) is related with the experience of the 6th republic during 1988-1993 when an en forced transition to democratization occurred as a result of people's struggle for direct presidential election in 1987. The Thai case (Thailand 2001) is regarding the regime shift in 2001 when prime minister Thaksin imposed radical reform measures. It is argued that politics-administration dichotomy is insufficient to solve autonomy-resistance-dilemma and politics-administration-society triad is required to pursue reforms suited to modernized governance. Political dominance with attempts to bring about sweeping reforms or bureaucratic resistance to stay in the status quo should be equally avoided in the effort toward modern democratic governance.