A display panel driving apparatus and a method of driving the same are provided, and, in particular, a gate driver and a method of driving the gate driver. The gate driver includes a decoder that decodes gate line selection data and that generates a gate line selection signal. A gate driving circuit generates a gate driving signal in a pre-charging phase and a driving phase in response to the gate line selection signal and a pre-charging control signal that controls an off-state of non-selected gate lines. In a time period of the driving phase in which a gate line is not selected, a node that has been in a floating state is held to a target voltage level in response to a hold control signal. The hold control signal is generated based upon a timing relationship between the gate line selection signal and the pre-charging control signal.