South Korea Refers 80 Tesla Owners Over Unauthorized FSD Devices

Highlights

Seoul police announced on October 27 that 80 Tesla owners had been referred to prosecutors for allegedly using uncertified devices to activate Full Self-Driving (FSD). Investigators seized 21 devices, which were reportedly obtained from Europe or China, or made by users themselves. In South Korea, only U.S.-made Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck vehicles can legally use FSD under the rules described in the report. Of 180,684 registered Teslas nationwide, 4,292, or 2.4%, were eligible. Unauthorized activation may carry a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.

Sentiment Analysis

• Overall tone: The article is primarily factual and cautionary. It reports police action, the legal framework, and the potential safety and legal consequences without endorsing either the vehicle modifications or the enforcement response.


• Public-safety emphasis: The police warning that uncertified devices could interfere with a vehicle’s ability to interpret road conditions gives the report a serious, risk-focused tone. The possibility of actions that differ from a driver’s intentions is presented as a stated concern, not as a confirmed incident involving a specific crash.


• Legal implications: The referral of 80 owners and the stated maximum penalties create a strong negative tone toward unauthorized modifications. At the same time, the article explains why eligibility depends on where a Tesla was manufactured, adding important regulatory context.


• Balance and uncertainty: The account distinguishes police claims from reported facts and notes that prosecutors will decide whether to indict. It does not provide device prices or identify sellers, so those details remain unknown.

Article Text

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on October 27 that 80 Tesla owners had been referred to prosecutors for alleged violations of South Korea’s Automobile Management Act. The owners were accused of connecting uncertified devices to their vehicles to activate Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving system, commonly known as FSD. According to the report, police seized 21 devices, and the owners had been referred for prosecution the previous week. The case concerns both the method used to enable the feature and whether the vehicles involved were authorized to use it.

Investigators said the devices had been purchased from Europe or China, or built by users. South Korean media reports traced the practice to an information-technology worker who obtained source code from the open-source platform GitHub and made an activation device. Owners reportedly exchanged instructions in online communities, including advice on activating the system and avoiding records of the modification in their vehicles. The report did not identify sellers or provide prices for the devices.

FSD is a Tesla driver-assistance feature that, with driver supervision, can perform tasks such as changing lanes and making turns while traveling toward a destination. Under ordinary procedures described in the report, eligible vehicles must be subscribed to the service and receive a software update before the feature can be enabled. The devices in the investigation allegedly bypassed Tesla’s official software-update and certification processes.

The legality of FSD use in South Korea is linked to vehicle origin. Under the U.S.–South Korea Free Trade Agreement, vehicles made in the United States that meet U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards can be exempt from corresponding South Korean certification requirements. The report says this exemption permits U.S.-made Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck vehicles to use FSD in South Korea. Vehicles produced in China or Europe have not received the relevant safety-standard certification, so activating FSD on those models without authorization is described as illegal. The distinction is therefore not simply which Tesla model a person owns; where the vehicle was manufactured also matters.

Nationwide, South Korea had 180,684 registered Teslas, but only 4,292 were eligible to use FSD legally, representing 2.4% of the total. That eligible group comprised 2,708 Model X vehicles, 1,193 Model S vehicles, and 391 Cybertrucks. The figures amount to an average of about 1 eligible Tesla for every 42 registered Teslas. The article also notes that some owners of China-produced models, including Model Y vehicles, have recently used unofficial external devices or source code to activate FSD.

South Korea’s Automobile Management Act prohibits arbitrary changes, installations, additions, or removals of software that could affect a vehicle’s safe operation. A violation can carry a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won, stated in the report as approximately NT$490,000. Police said that using uncertified devices to enable FSD bypasses Tesla’s official safeguards. They warned that a vehicle might fail to recognize driving conditions correctly or act in a way that differs from the driver’s intentions. Authorities described these possibilities as safety risks; the report does not say that a particular collision resulted from the devices.

Several South Korean media outlets characterized the 80 people as vehicle owners. Police said they would continue working with relevant agencies to investigate conduct that could threaten road safety. The case has been sent to the prosecution service, which will determine whether to bring charges. The report does not state the ultimate outcome of that review, and referral to prosecutors should not be taken as a final finding of guilt.

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