Fracture toughness defined near the initiation of stable crack growth is investigated by R-curve and Direct Current electric Potential Determination(DCPD) under mode I plane strain conditions for CT specimen with 25.4mm thickness of SS400 steel. Fracture toughness. $J_{IC}$lit near crack tip of CT specimen by R-curve is 17.14 $kg_{f}/mm$ and however. its value by DCPD is 22.82 $Rg_{f} mm$ The value of fracture toughness by DCPD is larger than that by R-curve. Therefore, it is suggested that the evaluation of fracture toughness by R-curve is optimum than by DCPD, when considering amount of crack growth about each of fracture toughness.