Disclosed is a method of segmenting touching numeral strings contained in handwritten touching numeral strings, and recognizing the numeral strings by use of feature information and recognized results provided by inherent structure of digits. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a handwritten numeral string extracted from a pattern document; smoothing a curved numeral image of the handwritten numeral string, and searching connecting components in the numeral image; determining whether or not the numeral string is a touching numeral string; if it is determined that the numeral string is the touching numeral string, searching a contour of the touching numeral string image; searching candidate segmentation points in the contour, and segmenting sub-images; computing a segmentation confidence value on each segmented sub-image by use of a segmentation error function to select the sub-image with the highest segmentation confidence value as a segmented numeral image in the touching numeral string image; if it is determined in the step c that the numeral string is not the touching numeral string, extracting a feature to recognize the segmented numeral image; segmenting the numeral image selected from the touching numeral string in the highest segmenting confidence value; and obtaining remaining numeral string image.