A method and apparatus for processing augmented reality (AR) including determining a compensation parameter to compensate for light attenuation of visual information caused by a display area of an AR device as the visual information corresponding to a target scene is displayed through the display area, generating a background image without the light attenuation by capturing the target scene using a camera of the AR device, generating a compensation image by reducing brightness of the background image using the compensation parameter, generating a virtual object image to be overlaid on the target scene, generating a display image by synthesizing the compensation image and the virtual object image, and displaying the display image in the display area.