A slide type portable terminal can include a main unit including separated first and second key sections and a first plate coupled to a surface of the main unit and a display unit with a display screen on a front surface and a second plate. The second plate can slide with respect to the first plate and preferably slides along the surface of the main unit to cause the first and second key sections of the main unit to be covered and exposed by the display unit. Further, first and second magnets can be provided on the first and second plates, respectively, so that the same poles of the magnets face each other to provide a repulsive force when they are positioned to face close to each other. According to embodiments of the present invention, there are various advantages in that the portable terminal can be utilized more conveniently and production costs and failure rates thereof can also be reduced.