An apparatus and method for displaying menu items of a hierarchical menu on a screen in such a manner that a function desired by a user can be traced and performed with a minimum number of key inputs. The top-level menu and bottom-level menu of the hierarchical menu can be simultaneously displayed in one screen picture, thereby enabling a user to reach from an upper-level menu to the bottom-level menu or from the bottom-level menu to the top-level menu with a minimum number of key inputs without passing through intermediate-level menus. Further, a certain menu can be displayed in one screen picture along with the one-level upper menu and one-level lower menu thereof or the one-level lower menu thereof so that the user can readily recognize the position of a current menu. Furthermore, the user can access all menus using only direction keys.