UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT

     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                         Date of Report: August 17, 2005


                         The South Financial Group, Inc.
                         -------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


  South Carolina                  0-15083                   57-0824914
 -----------------               ----------             ------------------
(State or other juris-          (Commission               (IRS Employer
diction of incorporation)       File Number)           Identification Number)


    102 South Main Street, Greenville, South Carolina           29601
    -------------------------------------------------           -----
    (Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (864) 255-7900

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

|_|   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 230.425)

|_|   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 240.14a-12)

|_|   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))




Item 5.03.   Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal
             Year

         On August 17, 2005, the Board of Directors amended and restated the
Bylaws of The South Financial Group, Inc. ("TSFG"). A copy of the amended and
restated Bylaws is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1. The effective date of the
amendment and restatement was immediate.

         The Bylaws were amended in the following respects:

         1.       The Bylaws were amended to reflect the fact that TSFG's name
                  was changed in 2000 from "Carolina First Corporation" to "The
                  South Financial Group, Inc."

         2.       The mandatory retirement age set forth in Section 3.2 was
                  raised from 70 to 72.

         3.       A new Section 3.14 was added, which sets forth the standard
                  duties of the Board Chairman and creates the positions of
                  Deputy Chairman and Lead Independent Director.

                  The Deputy Chairman discharges all duties otherwise accorded
                  the Chairman upon the request of the Chairman. The Lead
                  Independent Director shall
                  o  Act as chair of meetings of the Board when the Chairman is
                     not present;
                  o  Consult and meet with any or all outside directors as
                     required, and represent such directors in discussions with
                     management of the Corporation on corporate governance
                     issues and other matters;
                  o  Ensure that the Board, committees of the Board, individual
                     directors and senior management of the Corporation
                     understand and discharge their duties and obligations under
                     the Corporation's system of corporate governance;
                  o  Mentor and counsel new members of the Board to assist them
                     in becoming active and effective directors;
                  o  Conduct director evaluations;
                  o  Lead executive sessions on CEO evaluation and conduct
                     conversations with the CEO;
                  o  Perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be
                     delegated to the lead director by the Board from time to
                     time.

         4.       Section 10.1 was amended to provide that amendments to the
                  bylaws need only comply with applicable law. The prior
                  provision providing that copies of a proposed amendment be
                  distributed at the board meeting prior to meeting at which the
                  amendment is to be acted upon, was deleted.

         Upon approving the amended and restated Bylaws, the Board unanimously
appointed Mack I. Whittle, Jr. as Deputy Chairman and John C. B. Smith, Jr. as
Lead Independent Director.


Item 9.01.        Financial Statements and Exhibits .

Exhibit No.       Description
- -----------       -----------
3.1               Amended and Restated Bylaws



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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                            THE SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.


August 17, 2005                     By:  /s/ William P. Crawford, Jr.
                                        ------------------------------------
                                        William P. Crawford, Jr.
                                        Executive Vice President and
                                        General Counsel



















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