Disclosed is a positive electrode and a lithium battery including the positive electrode. The positive electrode includes a current collector, a first layer irreversibly deintercalating lithium ions, and a second layer allowing reversible intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions. In one embodiment, the first layer further comprises a first sublayer and a second sublayer, in which the first sublayer is interposed between the current collector and the second sublayer. The first sublayer comprises a first active material represented by Formula 1 Li2Mo1-nR1nO3, and the second sublayer comprises a second active material represented by Formula 2 Li2Ni1-mR2mO2. In Formula 1, 0≦n