9 Most Popular SMS Gateways in Korea in 2025

What’s the best SMS gateway for Korea?

South Korea’s SMS market is experiencing steady growth and is forecasted to reach $13.43 million by 2025. But why is this happening?

The reason lies in the nature of SMS: A service that requires no advanced technology and works on any mobile phone, whether it’s a smartphone or not. In addition, SMS has a high open rate and reaches its audience almost instantly.

For Korean businesses, choosing the most suitable SMS marketing tool is crucial. The best SMS gateway for Korea is the one that not only meets a company’s needs but also fits its budget.

In this article, we introduce the most popular SMS gateways in Korea. It is worth reviewing them thoroughly to find the best SMS platform in Korea that you need.

Keep in mind that sending SMS online through a website requires connecting to SMS gateway APIs.

However, if you have a WordPress-based website, you can use the WP SMS plugin instead of writing custom code. This way, you can send all types of SMS messages, from bulk SMS messages to OTPs and transactional alerts, in the fastest time and at the lowest cost.

1. DirectSend

• Supported Regions: Korea
• Best For: Bulk SMS
• WordPress Plugin Support: WP SMS

Overview of DirectSend

DirectSend is a local SMS gateway in Korea.

DirectSend is a bulk SMS gateway based in Seoul that strives to identify the needs of local businesses and provide services tailored to them. With DirectSend, you can send not only regular SMS messages, but also send LMS (Long Message).

Plus, if you have a business where sending media can affect your sales, for instance a real estate agent can definitely achieve more sales by publishing pictures of houses, MMS will also be attractive to you. Sending MMS is another feature of this Korean SMS platform.

Another reason why DirectSend can be a good choice as an SMS provider for Korean businesses is that large companies are already using its services. Do you think the service used by Uber and Fila might not have a good infrastructure for your business? It is probably at least worth considering.

Another important advantage of DirectSend is that it is supported by the WP SMS plugin. This plugin can integrate with many other WordPress plugins and allows businesses to group customers and send personalized, scheduled messages.

Setting up this plugin and using DirectSend through it is easy. However, we will provide a visual guide below on how to do it.

Key Features of DirectSend

• Bulk SMS
• Sending MMS
• Local coverage
• SMS surveys and polls
• Long messages

Pricing of DirectSend

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go
Starting Price	9.5 won per SMS
Free Trial	No
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of DirectSend

✅ Fast delivery
✅ High security
✅ Easy WordPress integration
✅ Local coverage
✅ Supports SMS, LMS, and MMS

Cons of DirectSend

⚠️ Limited Language Support (primarily Korean)

How to Set Up DirectSend on WP SMS

Let’s learn how to set up your SMS gateway on the WordPress dashboard so that you can send SMS by WP SMS plugin.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to get you started:

1. Get the Credentials from the SMS Gateway

Each SMS gateway gives you credentials and other details of its APIs to let you configure it.

2. Connect the Gateway to WP SMS

Now, you have two options to configure the SMS gateway on your dashboard. You can set it up manually or use the setup wizard for configuration.
In the first option, navigate to SMS on your WordPress dashboard, and then go to SMS → Settings → SMS Gateway.

You must choose your SMS gateway from the list and paste the required credentials. Finally, click Save Changes.

To do it using the setup Wizard (WP SMS v7.0 +), you need to go to the same path and click Re-run Setup Wizard and follow the guided steps to configure the SMS gateway.

3. Verify Activation

Finally, try to double-check everything using the Gateway Overview panel and make sure that the SMS gateway status shows as active.

2. SMS.to

• Supported Regions: Global
• Best For: Bulk SMS, transactional SMS, OTP, WooCommerce, Viber
• WordPress Plugin Support: WP SMS

Overview of SMS.to

SMS.to is one of the best SMS platforms that Korean businesses can use.

When you go to SMS.to, they help you decide if this service is right for you in two ways. You can either consult with their experts to give you complete information about their services, or you can use the free trial service to test it out.

SMS.to is a developer-friendly SMS gateway and provides well-documented APIs for sending SMS messages. It also provides sample codes for many programming languages, such as PHP, Ruby, Python, and Go. This way, connecting to its APIs can be very easy.

Through SMS.to APIs, you can not only send personalized bulk SMS messages, but also send various types of SMS messages, such as transactional alerts.

In addition, some businesses require sending OTP messages to increase the security of customer accounts. These messages must be sent immediately and no delay is acceptable. SMS.to APIs are a suitable infrastructure for these messages, as they can send messages in seconds and with a high delivery rate.

Another thing that makes this SMS gateway a desirable option is its 24/7 support. Additionally, with businesses like AB InBev and Heineken among its customers, it is definitely worth considering.

Finally, many websites are built on WordPress. Therefore, a plugin like WP SMS can make working with SMS.to easier. This plugin supports SMS.to and allows you to connect to its APIs.

Key Features of SMS.to

• Global coverage
• High Delivery Rate
• Developer-Friendly
• Supports OTPs, bulk promotions, transactional alerts, and Viber campaigns.

Pricing of SMS.to

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go
Starting Price	$0.022 per SMS
Free Trial	Yes
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of SMS.to

✅ Feature-rich
✅ Free trial available for testing
✅ 24/7 support
✅ Easy WordPress integration
✅ Easy API integration for developers

3. Releans

• Supported Regions: Global
• Best For: Bulk SMS, OTP, WooCommerce
• WordPress Plugin Support: WP SMS

Overview of Releans

Releans is an international SMS gateway that supports Korean telecom companies.

Many businesses, such as financial institutions or healthcare services, require a highly secure SMS infrastructure to best protect data. Releans holds ISO 27001 certification and is GDPR compliant. Therefore, you can be sure that it attaches great importance to data protection.

But that is not the only important advantage of Releans. The service can also send over 15 million SMS messages per day with a delivery rate of around 99.9%. This is an incredible rate that requires strong infrastructure to achieve.

This infrastructure can be used to send bulk SMS in high volume or to send SMS messages where no delay is important, such as time-sensitive alerts and OTP messages.

As a result, Releans is perfect for all kinds of businesses, such as WooCommerce-based stores for sending order updates and international businesses like hotels.

But even if you are still not sure whether Releans can be suitable for your business, you can contact their experts to provide the best guidance based on your needs. They will definitely help you find the best solutions to your needs.

Finally, WP SMS supports this SMS gateway, so Korean WordPress websites can connect to Releans APIs with this plugin easily. Setting up this gateway is also the same as explained earlier.

Key Features of Releans

• Wide global coverage
• High Delivery Rate
• holds ISO 27001 certification
• Supports OTPs, bulk promotions, and transactional alerts

Pricing of Releans

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go
Starting Price	$0.0265 per SMS
Free Trial	No
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of Releans

✅ ISO 27001-certified security
✅ GDPR-Compliant
✅ Works with all Korean mobile networks
✅ Simple, reliable API integration
✅ Delivers messages instantly
✅ 99.9% guaranteed message delivery
✅ 24/7 support

Cons of Releans

⚠️ Higher costs for international businesses

4. Twilio

• Supported Regions: Global
• Best For: Bulk SMS, Two-Way Communication, Transactional SMS, OTPs, WhatsApp Business communication
• WordPress Plugin Support: WP SMS

Overview of Twilio

Twilio is an SMS API provider that works internationally.

Twilio can also be considered another popular and secure international SMS gateway that strives to provide the best services to various businesses around the world, including Korean businesses.

 Twilio holds numerous certifications, such as ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 and its website has a page called “Twilio Security Overview” dedicated to providing a clear and comprehensive explanation of its security measures.

In addition, the fact that a large number of financial companies such as crypto.com, Stripe, and Union Bank use its infrastructure is also another evidence of the security of this service.

Also, it is GDPR-compliant, which guarantees data protection. Plus, its infrastructure has a built-in feature that can detect and block SMS pumping fraud.

Twilio also provides a convenient two-way communication infrastructure so you can receive messages from your users. This way, you can get feedback from them and run surveys.

All of these show that Twilio is a reliable bulk SMS gateway, but it can also be used to send other SMS messages, such as OTPs and SMS messages that nudge users, such as cart abandonment alerts.

Finally, if you have a WordPress-based website, you can easily use the Twilio APIs without any technical knowledge. Just download the WP SMS plugin, install it, and configure it according to the instructions provided in this article.

Key Features of Twilio

• Wide Coverage
• High Delivery Rate
• Holds ISO 27001 and ISO 27017
• Developer-Friendly
• Two-Way Communication

Pricing of Twilio

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go
Starting Price	$0.0494 per SMS
Free Trial	Yes (Access to all products across the Twilio platform)
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of Twilio

✅ Fast delivery
✅ High security
✅ Supports two-way communication
✅ Global coverage

Cons of Twilio

⚠️ Higher cost than competitors

5. Easy Send SMS

• Supported Regions: Global
• Best For: Bulk SMS, transactional SMS, OTPs
• WordPress Plugin Support: WP SMS

Overview of Easy Send SMS

Easy Send SMS is an international platform for sending SMS online.

To be able to use a service with confidence, having a free trial can be very helpful. Easy Send SMS gives you 15 free SMS to test the service.

After that, you can buy as many SMS as you want and use them indefinitely. Your SMS credits never expire and Easy Send SMS is committed to keeping them for you forever.

The SMS messages you purchase can be used for a variety of SMS notifications and alerts. You can use them to send OTP messages to increase the security of your user accounts, use them for sending SMS marketing campaigns to your Korean or international customers, or use them for flash sales to increase your revenue.

Also, what makes this service more valuable is having 24/7 support, which makes them reliable. Plus, this SMS gateway also has very well-documented APIs. In fact, Easy Send SMS aims to be a reliable and easy-to-use SMS platform that offers multiple services.

Another interesting thing about Easy Send SMS is that if you prefer to pay for the service via cryptocurrencies, Easy Send SMS is among the companies that are willing to receive bill payments in various cryptocurrencies such as Tether and Bitcoin.

Finally, WordPress-based businesses can also easily use Easy Send SMS without any technical knowledge, as the WP SMS plugin provides easy integration.

Key Features of Easy Send SMS

• Wide Coverage
• Developer-Friendly
• Supports Bulk SMS, OTPs, and transactional SMS messages
• 24/7 Support
• No Credit Expiration

Pricing of Easy Send SMS

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Tiered pricing
Starting Price	$0.003 per SMS
Free Trial	Yes (with 15 test SMS)
Minimum Commitment	100 SMS messages
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of Easy Send SMS

✅ Free trial with 15 test SMS
✅ Credits never expire
✅ Possibility to pay with crypto

Cons of Easy Send SMS

⚠️ Small plans are expensive

6. BulkGate

• Supported Regions: Global
• Best For: Bulk SMS, WhatsApp Communications, Viber
• WordPress Plugin Support: WP SMS

Overview of BulkGate

BulkGate is a marketing platform that offers multiple services, including SMS API to businesses around the world.

The important feature of BulkGate is that it not only offers a variety of SMS solutions, but can also be used for WhatsApp Communications and Viber messages at low costs.

This company offers a fully equipped and complete panel for businesses to manage their various SMS campaigns. They can send bulk SMS from this panel or even receive SMS messages from their audience.

Also, in this panel, it is possible to read detailed and complete reports of campaigns so that businesses can make data-driven decisions for their future campaigns and other marketing actions.

Another thing that makes this a great SMS platform for Korean businesses is that it has a clean UI and a developer-first design, and connecting to its SMS APIs is very simple for developers.

But if you have a WordPress-based website, it is even easier. Just install and configure the WP SMS plugin. Then, you can schedule and send personalized SMS messages to specific groups of your users, or by integrating with other plugins, using WP SMS, you can send transactional SMS messages based on your users’ data.

Key Features of BulkGate

• Global & Local Coverage
• Two-Way Communication
• High Delivery Rate
• Supports OTPs, bulk promotions, transactional alerts, WhatsApp communications, and Viber campaigns

Pricing of BulkGate

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go
Starting Price	€0.0099 per SMS
Free Trial	Yes
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of BulkGate

✅ Supports OTP, bulk SMS, WhatsApp, and Viber
✅ Two-way messaging
✅ High delivery rate
✅ Bulk plans are affordable

7. BulkSMS

• Supported Regions: Global
• Best For: Bulk SMS, OTP, 2FA, WooCommerce, SMS short-codes
• WordPress Plugin Support: WP SMS

Overview of BulkSMS

BulkSMS is a popular SMS gateway that provides SMS marketing services to Korean businesses.

BulkSMS offers industry-specific guides on its website that help sectors like e-commerce, real estate, and medical improve their SMS campaigns.

This SMS service has the appropriate infrastructure to send all kinds of SMS notifications. For example, a startup that wants to send a product launch announcement needs to use an SMS provider that can send a large volume of SMS messages very quickly. BulkSMS handles this well.

Additionally, many businesses that want to send SMS messages through their website, for example, order update SMS messages, can use BulkSMS because it has well-documented APIs and is very easy to connect to.

Finally, it is noteworthy that WP SMS supports the BulkSMS gateway, and Korean WordPress websites can easily install the WP SMS plugin to use it for their SMS campaigns.

Key Features of BulkSMS

• Wide Coverage 
• Developer-Friendly
• Good for 2FA SMS and flash sale alerts
• High Delivery Rate

Pricing of BulkSMS 

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Tiered pricing
Starting Price	2.76 cent Euro per SMS
Free Trial	No
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of BulkSMS 

✅ High message delivery success rate
✅ Easy API integration for developers
✅ Supports OTP, bulk SMS, 2FA, and attachments
✅ Connects to all Korean networks

8. SendSMS Gate

• Supported Regions: Almost Global & Korea
• Best For: Bulk SMS, OTP, WooCommerce
• WordPress Plugin Support: Custom Configuration

Overview of SendSMS Gate

SendSMS Gate is an affordable SMS service that operates internationally.

SendSMS Gate’s robust infrastructure allows it to deliver high-quality services. Whether you want to send bulk SMS or transactional SMS alerts, you can rely on its infrastructure.

For example, if a gym wants to announce a change in its opening hours, it needs to be able to deliver its message to its audience without interruption and with a high delivery rate. 

Or if a nonprofit wants to raise funds, it needs to be sure that its messages reach its audience in order for its charitable campaign to be successful.

All of them can use SendSMS Gate with confidence.

Additionally, SendSMS Gate’s dashboard includes detailed reports of sent SMS messages, keeping the senders updated on the status of their sent SMS messages in real-time.

Plus, another advantage of using this bulk SMS gateway is that it offers 5 free SMS messages for testing so that you can test their service before purchasing.

However, WordPress-based websites face challenges in using it, as WP SMS does not support it, and as a result, sending SMS through the website requires coding and manually connecting to SMS APIs.

Key Features of SendSMS Gate

• Global & Local Coverage
• Developer-Friendly
• Detailed reports
• Supports Bulk SMS, OTPs, and transactional SMS messages
• High Delivery Rate

Pricing of SendSMS Gate

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go
Starting Price	€0.010 per SMS
Free Trial	No
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of SendSMS Gate

✅ Free trial with 5 test SMS
✅ Covers all Korean networks
✅ Provides detailed reports
✅ Low Price & Affordability
✅ Easy API integration for developers

Cons of SendSMS Gate

⚠️ Requires coding for WordPress-based websites to connect

9. SMSPM

• Supported Regions: Almost Global & Korea
• Best For: Bulk SMS
• WordPress Plugin Support: Custom Configurations

Overview of SMSPM

SMSPM is an SMS API provider that works globally.

SMSPM offers its clients a variety of SMS templates so that they can quickly send what they need to their users without having to spend a lot of time. With templates, businesses can even see higher conversion rates, as these templates are written based on SMS marketing principles.

Additionally, by sending SMS through SMSPM, you can get reports of the sent messages so you can know how effective your SMS campaigns really are. This way, you can fix your problems and design better campaigns in the future.

SMSPM also allows for two-way communication, meaning you can also receive SMS messages from your users. This is great for getting feedback and running SMS contests.

Finally, registration on its website is free and there are no hidden costs to using this SMS gateway. You only pay for what you use.

But unfortunately, WP SMS does not currently support it, which means that WordPress websites need to connect to the SMSPM gateway through coding, which makes it a little more difficult and costly for them.

Key Features of SMSPM

• Wide Coverage
• High Delivery Rate
• No Credit Expiration
• Detailed reports
• Two-Way Communication

Pricing of SMSPM

Feature	Details
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go
Starting Price	€0.051 per SMS
Free Trial	Yes
Minimum Commitment	None
Pricing Transparency	Clear pricing

Pros of SMSPM

✅ High message delivery success rate
✅ Fast customer support
✅ Global reach
✅ provides detailed reports
✅ supports two-way communication

Cons of SMSPM

⚠️ Fewer features than some of its competitors
⚠️ Requires coding for WordPress-based websites to connect

Conclusion: Choosing the Right SMS Gateway in Korea

You can quickly compare popular SMS gateways in Korea by looking at the table below. You should find an SMS gateway that fits your business needs and budget. 

Gateway	Pricing (lowest price)	WP SMS Support	Coverage	Best for
DirectSend	9.5 Won per message	✅	Korea	Bulk SMS
SMS.to	$0.022 per message	✅	Global	Bulk SMS, transactional SMS, OTP, WooCommerce, Viber
Releans	$0.0265 per message	✅	Global	Bulk SMS, OTP, WooCommerce
Twilio	$0.0494 per message	✅	Global	Bulk SMS, Two-Way Communication, Transactional SMS, OTPs, WhatsApp Business communication
Easy Send SMS	$0.003 per message	✅	Global	Bulk SMS, transactional SMS, OTPs
BulkGate	€0.0099 per message	✅	Global	Bulk SMS, OTP, WooCommerce
BulkSMS	€0.0276 per message	✅	Global	Bulk SMS, WhatsApp Communications, Viber
SendSMS Gate	€0.010 per message	❌	Almost Global & Korea	Bulk SMS, OTP, WooCommerce
SMSPM	€0.051 per message	❌	Almost Global & Korea	Bulk SMS

Overall, we can suggest the following Korean SMS gateways for different conditions:

SMBs & eCommerce: Easy Send SMS, SendSMS Gate, BulkGate

Marketing Campaigns: DirectSend, SMSPM

Developers: SMS.to

Secure & Regulated Use: Releans, Twilio

Startups: BulkSMS