An optical recording controlling method and an optical recording apparatus utilizing the method implement operations of performing a recording operation to record the data in the recording medium, applying a pause request signal to stop, temporarily, the recording operation, determining whether to set a record resume time, and if the record resume time is set while the recording operation is in pause, temporarily stopping the recording operation and then resuming the recording operation at the record resume preset time. Therefore, the recording operation may be resumed at a user's desired time.