A backlight unit according to an embodiment of the inventive concept includes a driving substrate and a plurality of first clusters and a plurality of second clusters arranged in rows and columns on the driving substrate, wherein the first clusters and the second clusters are alternately arranged in each row on the driving substrate, wherein at least one of the first clusters and at least one of the second clusters are repeatedly disposed in each column on the driving substrate, wherein each of the first clusters and each of the second clusters includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the first and second clusters having structures inverted to each other, wherein each of LEDs that are most adjacent to a row directional edge of the driving substrate, among the LEDs of the first and second clusters, is connected in parallel to a resistor.