SMS compliance in South Korea

The rules that apply to business SMS sent to numbers in South Korea, with the source for each.

Quiet hours

Advertising SMS 21:00-08:00 requires separate prior consent.

Source: Network Act art.50(3)

Consent

Prior explicit consent for advertising SMS; consent must be reconfirmed every 2 years.

Source: PIPA; Network Act art.50 (advertising information)

Opt-out

Free opt-out (080 number) must be included in every advertising SMS with '(광고)' prefix.

Source: PIPA; Network Act art.50 (advertising information) / regulator rules

Prohibited content

Blocked: phishing/fraud, illegal or unlicensed gambling, adult content, hate/political content (most operators), counterfeit/illegal goods, unlicensed financial offers; URL shorteners often blocked.

Source: Operator content policies / national advertising law

Data protection law

PIPA; Network Act art.50 (advertising information). Supervisory authority: PIPC / KMCC.

Source: PIPA; Network Act art.50 (advertising information)

Sender ID rule

Alphanumeric SIDs generally not supported; messages delivered from short/long numeric codes.

Source: Operator rules (see SenderID sheet)

Other

Advertising SMS must start with '(광고)' and show sender name and contact.

Source: Regulator/operator rules

This summary is guidance, not legal advice. Last verified 23 October 2026.