This paper introduces a study carried out to investigate sodium sulfate attack caused by various reactive products. Experiments were performed on mortar and paste specimens made with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) conforming to KS L 5201 Type I. The water-cement ratios were varied from 0.35 to 0.55. It was found from the laboratory study that the water-cement ratio may be a key to control the deterioration of OPC matrix during sodium sulfate attack. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that ettringite, gypsum and thaumasite were the main products formed by sodium sulfate attack. These findings were well supported by thermal analysis through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and confirmed the long-term understanding that deterioration mechanism by sodium sulfate attack is a complicated process. Most importantly, deterioration due to sodium sulfate attack is characterized as the drastic reduction in compressive strength as well as the expansion (especially in cement matrix with a higher water-cement ratio).