A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels, a controller which generates a gate reference signal, a gate control circuit which outputs a gate driving signal based on the gate reference signal, and a gate driving circuit which provides gate signals to the plurality of pixels based on the gate driving signal. The gate control circuit includes a protection enable circuit which detects a first period of the gate reference signal, determines whether the period of the gate reference signal is changed, and generates a protection enable signal when the first period of the gate reference signal is not changed, and an over-current protection circuit which generates an over-current occurrence signal by detecting an over-current of the gate driving signal, and stops outputting the gate driving signal based on the over-current occurrence signal and the protection enable signal.