A discovery signal transmission/reception method and an apparatus for improving energy efficiency of the system are provided. The discovery signal transmission method of a base station in a mobile communication system according to the present disclosure includes acquiring a discovery signal configuration of a neighbor cell, transmitting the discovery signal configuration to a terminal, receiving a measurement report including a result of measurement on a discovery signal of the neighbor from the terminal, the measurement being performed based on the discovery signal configuration, and determining whether to make a handover decision for the terminal based on the measurement report. The discovery signal transmission/reception method of the present disclosure is advantageous in improving energy efficiency of a mobile communication system.