The disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system is provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). The disclosure provides a method and apparatus for effectively performing cell reselection in a wireless communication system. The disclosure relates to an operation method for a terminal in a wireless communication system, and the method includes determining to initiate a cell reselection in a radio resource control inactive state (RRC_Inactive state), discovering for a first cell that satisfies a first condition and a second condition, among a plurality of neighboring cells, if the first cell is discovered, camping on the first cell, and if the first cell is not discovered, camping on a second cell that satisfies the first condition and does not satisfy the second condition, among the plurality of neighboring cells, wherein the terminal is in the RRC_Inactive state.