An intelligent agent system including a terminal device and a control method therefor are disclosed. The terminal device comprises: a display unit; a communication unit which when a user stored in a phonebook is elected, transmits a request for state information of the selected user and receives the same; and a control unit, wherein the control unit extracts at least one connection method among methods by which the terminal device can contact the selected user, on the basis of the received state information, and performs control such that the display unit displays the extracted at least one connection method, or the communication unit selects one of the extracted at least one connection method according to a predetermined criterion so as to establish connection with the selected user.