An apparatus and method for compensating color characteristics in individual display devices that each include a display unit including a plurality of pixels to display images according to compensated image data signals, a test data input section to transmit a predetermined test image data signal to the pixels to display a test image, a luminance measuring unit to receive luminance information from the display unit displaying the test image and determine actual luminance ratios of a first color, a second color, and a third color from the received luminance information, a compensation ratio determiner to calculate a compensation ratio from both the actual and reference luminance ratios of each color and a data compensator to generate the compensated image data signals by adjusting external input video signals according to the compensation ratio.