An apparatus and method are provided for converting a preference color, in which the color space of a preference color selected by a user is divided into a plurality of sub-regions according to color distribution characteristics, and the colors of the respective regions of an input image corresponding to the user's preference color are converted into colors of proper sub-regions among the plurality of sub-regions. The apparatus for converting a preference color includes an image extraction unit which extracts at least one image region that includes a preference color from an input image, an image analysis unit which analyzes color distribution characteristics of the image region, a color-space extraction unit which extracts a divided space corresponding to the color distribution characteristics from divided spaces included in a color space of the preference color, and a color conversion unit which converts a color of the image region by using a color conversion model corresponding to the extracted divided space.