1. A method for controlling a mobile terminal application using a gesture, comprising: executing a first application; executing a second application while executing the first application, the first application being executed in a background without displaying a control interface of the first application; determining the first application as a target application based on an application selection gesture if multiple background applications are being executed, and determining the first application as the target application without the application selection gesture if the first application is the only background application being executed; identifying a target application control gesture corresponding to a contact signal, the contact signal being generated on a display screen in which a control interface of the target application is not displayed; verifying a command event corresponding to the target application control gesture; forwarding the command event to the determined target application; and controlling the first application to perform the command event in a background application state if the first application is determined as the target application.