The social welfare state is the realization of what is rational. The rational thing becomes realized and takes its concrete form in the social welfare state. Democracy, democratization and social justice thus becomes realized in the social welfare state. What is real means 'now' and 'here'. So far, the social welfare state becomes realized not only in the context of the universal history but also in the Korean history of the democracy, democratization and social justice. The Korean history of the democracy, democratization and social justice raises a question that can be answered and solved in the dimension of philosophy, theory and praxis. This question is nothing but a question of "which state?" or of the state that guarantees the democracy, democratization and social justice. This paper starts from the consideration on what has been talked above. The question of "which state?" is not only theoretical but practical. The aim of this study is not simply to give a general idea of the social welfare state. This will contribute to think over; the direction and objective of the social welfare state in the Korean context; what is needed to bring the idea of the social welfare state into practice; and what it means to renew the theory and practice of the social welfare state in the Korean context. It is necessary to reflect on the questions of the democracy, democratization and social justice in the Korean context.