An apparatus for controlling the operation of a power conversion device including a rectifier part, an initial charging part, a DC-link part and an inverter part, the apparatus comprising: a control part configured to drive a relay connected in parallel to an initial charging resistor of the initial charging part if a DC-link voltage of the DC-link part exceeds a first reference voltage during initial charging for the DC-link part; a relay monitoring part configured to monitor whether or not the relay is normally being operated based on a second reference voltage and voltage measured across the initial charging resistor when the relay is driven; and an inverter driving part configured to stop the driving of the inverter part if it is determined that the relay is not normally being operated by referring to a result of the monitoring of the relay monitoring part, wherein, the relay monitoring part comprises a current limiting resistor connected to the initial charging resistor and a photo coupler connected to the current limiting resistor, that the relay monitoring part is configured to set the second reference voltage based on the resistance of the initial charging resistor, and that the relay monitoring part is configured to output a first monitoring signal when a voltage measured across the initial charging resistor exceeds a second reference voltage, and to output a second monitoring signal when the voltage does not exceed the second reference voltage, wherein the relay monitoring part is configured to set the second reference voltage in inverse proportion to the resistance of the initial charging resistor, and wherein the first monitoring signal indicates that the relay is normally being operated and the second monitoring signal indicates that the relay is not normally being operated. a control part configured to drive a relay connected in parallel to an initial charging resistor of the initial charging part if a DC-link voltage of the DC-link part exceeds a first reference voltage during initial charging for the DC-link part; a relay monitoring part configured to monitor whether or not the relay is normally being operated based on a second reference voltage and voltage measured across the initial charging resistor when the relay is driven; and an inverter driving part configured to stop the driving of the inverter part if it is determined that the relay is not normally being operated by referring to a result of the monitoring of the relay monitoring part, wherein, the relay monitoring part comprises a current limiting resistor connected to the initial charging resistor and a photo coupler connected to the current limiting resistor, that the relay monitoring part is configured to set the second reference voltage based on the resistance of the initial charging resistor, and that the relay monitoring part is configured to output a first monitoring signal when a voltage measured across the initial charging resistor exceeds a second reference voltage, and to output a second monitoring signal when the voltage does not exceed the second reference voltage, wherein the relay monitoring part is configured to set the second reference voltage in inverse proportion to the resistance of the initial charging resistor, and wherein the first monitoring signal indicates that the relay is normally being operated and the second monitoring signal indicates that the relay is not normally being operated.