Abstract: A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine in which a hydraulic circuit has at least one hydraulic pump, at least first and second hydraulic actuators driven by a hydraulic fluid discharged from the pump, and at least first and second directional control valves connected to the pump in parallel with each other for controlling flows of hydraulic fluid supplied from the pump to the first and second actuators, respectively, and a control unit is responsive to first and second operation signals for driving the first and second actuators, respectively, to produce first and second control signals for actuating the first and second valves and deliver such control signals thereto, respectively, each of the first and second valves having a degree of opening changed in accordance with a level of the corresponding one of the first and second control signals for controlling a flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to the corresponding one of the first and second actuators.