In a method and apparatus for improving the address discharge efficiency of a plasma display panel (PDP), the PDP has a new structure which improves light-emitting efficiency and reduces a permanent afterimage. The PDP includes first and second substrates spaced apart from each other, a barrier rib which, together with the first and second substrates partitions discharge cells which are discharge spaces, first and second electrodes extending so as to cross each other in the barrier rib, a phosphor layer formed in the discharge cells, and a discharge gas in the discharge cells. In the method and apparatus, each unit frame used to express an image is divided into a plurality of sub-fields, and each of the sub-fields is divided into a reset period wherein all discharge cells are initialized, an address period wherein a discharge cell which is turned on or off is selected from all discharge cells, and a sustain period wherein a sustain discharge is performed for a discharge cell selected to be turned on in the address period according to gray-level weights allocated to each of the sub-fields. In addition, a falling pulse is applied to the first electrode in the reset period, and scan pulses are sequentially applied to the first electrode in the address period. The electric potential of a low level of the scan pulse is lower than the electric potential of a minimum level of the falling pulse.