An apparatus and method are provided for steering a protocol data unit (PDU) session associated with traffic routed to a selected user plane function (UPF). The method includes receiving, from an application function (AF), a first message including information identifying a UPF toward which traffic routing is applied and information on a spatial condition of a terminal location; receiving, from a session management function (SMF) device, a second message including information on a change of the terminal location in an area of interest determined based on the spatial condition; selecting a UPF based on the information identifying the UPF and the information on the change of the terminal location; and transmitting, to the SMF device, a third message including information on the selected UPF for steering a PDU session associated with traffic routed to the selected UPF.