In this study, in order to evaluate the shape and the size of the plastic zone at the notch tip before stable crack growth, a newly developed technique for plastic strain measurement, that is, the recrystallization-etching technique was applied to observe the intense strain zone at the notch tip of weld HAZ. 1) The recrystallized specimens showed that the amount of the intense strain zone, more than 20% plastic zone, was quantitatively observed as the plane strain state during the growth of the plastic zone. 2) The behavior of plastic deformation at midsection are different for parent and weld HAZ. In addition, the micro crack initiation occurs at midsection, parent and weld HAZ when the crack opening displacement(COD) value is .delta.$_{t}$=0.4mm. 3) The plastic zone for parent proceeds in the forward direction at notch tip and for weld HAZ in the right and left direction at the notch tip. 4) The relation between plastic strain energy(Wp) and COD(.delta.$_{t}$) depended on yield stress, gradient and plastic strain size.ize.