Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for discovering an adjacent device in a wireless communication system using Bluetooth low energy (LE). In particular, the method performed by a first device includes recognizing an advertising channel in which interference exists among three advertising channels constituting a first advertising channel set, transmitting a control message instructing application of a protected mode to a second device, when the advertising channel in which interference exists is recognized, the protected mode indicating a mode for transmitting and receiving a message using a second advertising channel set updated from the first advertising channel set in a non-connection state, and receiving an advertisement message from the second device through the second advertising channel set.