An apparatus and method for setting a control command in response to a touch area and controlling an application in a portable terminal through a simple touch input is provided. The apparatus includes a control command determination unit and a control unit. The control command determination unit detects a control command of an application corresponding to an area touched by a user when a touch input is sensed while the application works. The control unit controls an operation of the working application by using the control command detected by the control command determination unit.