A display device for external compensation and a method of driving the same, are discussed. The display device includes a plurality of display lines of a display panel which are divided into two areas to perform driving to output black data through a second display line area while an image is displayed through a first display line area, such that two display lines are sensed in one non-emission period (blank). Two level shifters alternately perform real-time sensing and recovery operation in one non-emission period and two display lines can be compensated in one frame.