A recording apparatus for recording data with respect to a recording medium, the apparatus comprising: a recording/reading unit, which transfers the data with respect to the recording medium; and a control unit; characterised in that the control unit is configured to: select a defect management mode selectable between a defect management on mode and a defect management off mode; determine a size of the spare area, the spare area being used for replacing a defective block and being allocated in a data area according to the selected defect management mode; control the recording/reading unit to record temporary defect management information comprising a space bit map, a temporary defect list and a temporary disc definition structure in a temporary disc management area provided in a lead-in area of the recording medium, the temporary disc definition structure comprising information on the size of the allocated spare area and location information of the temporary defect list; wherein the temporary defect management information in the temporary defect management area further includes defect management on/off mode information that indicates to the apparatus one of whether data is to be recorded on the recording medium while defect management is performed on the recording medium and whether data is to be recorded without defect management; control the recording/reading unit to record the data in the recording medium while defect management is performed on the recording medium, in response to the defect management on mode being selected; and control the recording/reading unit to record the data in the recording medium without defect management, in response to the defect management off mode being selected, and wherein, when the defect management mode being the defect-management-off mode, the size of the spare area is zero, wherein the temporary defect list includes at least one defect list entry including information on a defect block generated in the user data area, and the information on the defect block includes address information of the defect block, and address information of a replacement block corresponding to the defect block, and information on whether the defect block is generated in consecutive blocks, and wherein the space bit map indicates recording states in each of the blocks of the physically recording available space of the recording medium as distinguishable values. a recording/reading unit, which transfers the data with respect to the recording medium; and a control unit; select a defect management mode selectable between a defect management on mode and a defect management off mode; determine a size of the spare area, the spare area being used for replacing a defective block and being allocated in a data area according to the selected defect management mode; control the recording/reading unit to record temporary defect management information comprising a space bit map, a temporary defect list and a temporary disc definition structure in a temporary disc management area provided in a lead-in area of the recording medium, the temporary disc definition structure comprising information on the size of the allocated spare area and location information of the temporary defect list; wherein the temporary defect management information in the temporary defect management area further includes defect management on/off mode information that indicates to the apparatus one of whether data is to be recorded on the recording medium while defect management is performed on the recording medium and whether data is to be recorded without defect management; control the recording/reading unit to record the data in the recording medium while defect management is performed on the recording medium, in response to the defect management on mode being selected; and control the recording/reading unit to record the data in the recording medium without defect management, in response to the defect management off mode being selected, and wherein, when the defect management mode being the defect-management-off mode, the size of the spare area is zero,