Provided are a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving multi-user control channels through a data channel region in a wireless communication system using multiple antennas. Further provided is a definition of a new search space for control channel candidates. In the transmitting method, a base station forms control channels for a plurality of user equipment each of which is composed of at least one resource block, performs a mapping for the control channels by dividing a space of the same transmission region in a data channel region of a sub-frame, and then multiplexes the control channels with data channels in the data channel region of the sub-frame and to transmit the multiplexed control channels.