South Korean Authorities Investigate 80 Tesla Owners Over FSD 'Jailbreaking'

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has booked 80 people and seized 21 aftermarket devices for using them to activate Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software on vehicles not authorized to run it in South Korea, according to Electrek.

Investigation and Legal Consequences

The investigation follows a request in April from Korea's transport ministry for police to investigate indications of unauthorized activation. The suspects are facing charges under Korea's Motor Vehicle Management Act, which prohibits unauthorized software modifications that affect vehicle safety.

According to Electrek, violations of this act carry a maximum prison sentence of two years or a fine of up to 20 million won (approximately $15,000). The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency found that suspects discussed ways to hide FSD activation in online forums and shared advice on how to unlock the feature.

One suspect, an information technology worker, reportedly built a device using material from GitHub, while another suspect fitted a European-made unit into his Tesla. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, suspects either manufactured the devices themselves or imported them from China and Europe.

Regulatory Restrictions and Safety

In South Korea, official access to FSD (Supervised) is limited to U.S.-built Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck vehicles. Tesla introduced the feature in the country in late 2025, but the rollout did not authorize its use across the company's entire lineup.

Under current Korean standards, drivers must keep their hands on the wheel and manually engage turn signals, whereas FSD allows for hands-free use. While FSD is not autonomous and requires active supervision, the unauthorized use of the software is considered a safety hazard.

Specific regulatory distinctions include:

• U.S.-built models: The Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck are exempt from Korean safety certification due to a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement that recognizes U.S. federal safety regulations.
• Other models: The Model 3 and Model Y shipped to Korea from Giga Shanghai have not cleared Korean safety standards for FSD.

Connecting an aftermarket device to a vehicle's CAN bus allows users to bypass regional software restrictions because the vehicles share hardware. A police official cited the possibility of FSD misinterpreting road conditions as a risk, telling Korea JoongAng Daily that "safety risks were confirmed," according to Electrek.

Tesla's Response and Owner Impact

Tesla has taken steps to address unauthorized use. In China, the company has permanently barred some owners from using FSD. Additionally, beginning in April, the company remotely detected the devices and removed FSD from affected vehicles.

Tesla has warned that owners using these devices could lose warranty coverage and will bear full responsibility for crashes.

While some owners have expressed dissatisfaction with limited feature access, legal challenges have faced setbacks. A South Korean court recently rejected a suit from Tesla owners regarding their inability to use the feature, and a U.S. appeals court blocked a separate lawsuit from moving forward as a class action.

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Sources

• autos.yahoo.com: Tesla drivers used plug-in devices to unlock Full Self-Driving and face up to two years in prison
• slashgear.com: 80 Tesla Owners Arrested For Allegedly 'Jailbreaking' Full Self-Driving Mode

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.