APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STORING DATA IN AN MLC AREA OF A MEMORY SYSTEM

A memory system may include: a nonvolatile memory device comprising a plurality of memory blocks, each block having a plurality of pages, each page having a plurality of memory cells, wherein the plurality of memory block includes an SLC (Single Level Cell) block and an MLC (Multi-Level Cell) block; and a controller suitable for programming input data transmitted from a host to both the SLC block and the MLC block in response to a first program command, and invalidating the input data programmed in the SLC block at a time point when the program operation for the MLC block is completed, when the memory system is powered on after an SPO (Sudden Power-Off) occurred while the program operation was performed on both the SLC block and the MLC block, the controller may perform a recovery operation to the MLC block based on valid data programmed in the SLC block.