This paper presents the SOC-based control strategy of BESS(Battery Energy Storage System) for providing power system frequency regulation in the bulk power systems. As the life cycle of BESS would be shortened by frequent changes of charge and discharge required for frequency regulation in a steady state, the proposed algorithm operates BESS within a range of SOC where its life cycle can be maximized. However, during a transient period of which occurrence frequency is low, BESS would be controlled to use its full capacity in a wider range of SOC. In addition, each output of multiple BESS is proportionally determined by its SOC so that the balance in SOC of multiple BESS can be managed. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is verified through various case studies employing a test system. Moreover, the control result of BESS with the measured frequency from a real system shows SOC of BESS can be maintained within a specific range although the frequency deviation is biased.