South Korean police have identified 80 Tesla drivers who allegedly used physical devices to activate the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature on vehicles never cleared for it, according to reports. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has confiscated 21 of the bypass modules, and prosecutors are using the Motor Vehicle Management Act, which carries maximum penalties of two years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won (roughly $15,000).
South Korea's transport ministry first flagged suspicious FSD activations to police in April.
The devices connect to a Tesla's CAN bus, the internal network linking its electronic control units, and bypass the regional software lock that keeps FSD disabled. The bypass works because Tesla builds the same computer into every car, regardless of whether the feature is approved locally.
Tesla began offering FSD (Supervised) in South Korea in late 2025, but only on US-built Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck units, which skip local safety certification under the Korea-US free trade agreement. The Model 3 and Model Y arrive from Giga Shanghai and have yet to pass. Data cited by MK from Carisyou Data Lab indicated that 47,458 of 229,311 cars in the country (20.7%) are eligible.
The methods varied. Some suspects bought ready-made units from Europe and China, and one reportedly plugged a European-made module into his own car. Others skipped the shopping. One suspect, an IT worker, built his device using information he found on GitHub.
The group also traded tips online, including how to stop the car from keeping any record that FSD had been activated.
A police official said then: “Safety risks were confirmed, including the possibility that FSD may fail to properly recognize driving conditions or operate differently from the driver’s intentions.”
Tesla has also been working to stop the activations. In April, the company began remotely detecting unlock devices and disabling FSD access on affected vehicles. It has warned owners that unauthorized modifications could void warranty coverage and leave them liable for crashes.
This is not the first time Tesla’s software protections have come under scrutiny. In August 2023, researchers exploited a hardware security flaw in the AMD processor powering the media control unit to unlock certain paid features.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case establishes a legal precedent for prosecuting drivers who bypass region-locked software features, a growing issue in the automotive and tech industries.
- It highlights the tension between a manufacturer's right to control its hardware and the ability of technically proficient owners to use hardware they have paid for.
- The investigation demonstrates the limits of purely remote enforcement against physically installed tampering devices.
Background
Tesla uses a standardised hardware platform across global markets, relying on software locks to restrict features to approved regions. This allows drivers to theoretically activate FSD anywhere, but certification is specific to a country's regulatory environment. South Korea's Motor Vehicle Management Act prohibits unauthorised software changes that could affect vehicle safety.
Key Perspectives
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency: the modifications present a safety risk and violate the Motor Vehicle Management Act.
Tesla: has remotely detected the devices and warns that modifications void warranties and liability.
Drivers and modders: have shared methods online for bypassing the regional lock, including using GitHub instructions and concealing activation history.
What to Watch
- The outcome of the South Korean court cases, which will clarify how the Motor Vehicle Management Act applies to hardware-based CAN bus modules.
- Whether Tesla modifies its hardware architecture to prevent physical bypasses in future vehicle models.
- If South Korea's transport ministry accelerates FSD certification for the Shanghai-built Model 3 and Model Y.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedSouth Korea identified 80 Tesla drivers over alleged use of devices to activate FSD on vehicles not cleared for it.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “South Korean authorities have identified 80 Tesla drivers who allegedly forced Full Self-Driving (FSD) onto cars that were never cleared for it, Electrek reports.”
- SupportedThe Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confiscated 21 bypass devices.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency says it confiscated 21 of the devices used to switch the feature on.”
- SupportedProsecutors are using the Motor Vehicle Management Act in the case.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Then there is the legal risk, where prosecutors are using the Motor Vehicle Management Act, which bans unauthorized software changes that could affect vehicle safety.”
- SupportedThe Act carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won, roughly $15,000.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “In Korea, the maximum penalty is two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won, or roughly $15,000”
- SupportedSouth Korea’s transport ministry first flagged suspicious FSD activations to police in April.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “South Korea’s transport ministry first flagged suspicious activations to police in April.”
- Partly supportedThe devices connect to a Tesla’s CAN bus and get around the regional software lock.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The unlock modules reportedly connect to the car’s CAN bus (the internal network that links its electronic control units) and get around the regional software lock that keeps FSD disabled.”
- SupportedThe bypass works because Tesla builds the same computer into every car, whether or not FSD is approved locally.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “That works because Tesla builds the same computer into every car, whether or not the feature is approved locally.”
- SupportedTesla began offering FSD (Supervised) in South Korea in late 2025.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Tesla began offering FSD (Supervised) in South Korea in late 2025,”
- SupportedThe South Korean FSD offering is limited to US-built Model S, Model X and Cybertruck units, which skip local safety certification under the Korea-US free trade agreement.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “but only on US-built Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck units, which skip local safety certification under the Korea-US free trade agreement.”
- Partly supportedCarisyou Data Lab figures cited by MK indicate 47,458 of 229,311 cars in the country are eligible, or 20.7%.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Nobody agrees on how many Korean Teslas are eligible, although Carisyou Data Lab figures cited by MK last month indicate 47,458 of 229,311 cars (20.7%).”
- SupportedA police official said: “Safety risks were confirmed, including the possibility that FSD may fail to properly recognize driving conditions or operate differently from the driver’s intentions.”Latest from Tom's Hardware: ““Safety risks were confirmed, including the possibility that FSD may fail to properly recognize driving conditions or operate differently from the driver’s intentions,” a police official said then.”
- SupportedIn April, Tesla began remotely detecting unlock devices and disabling FSD access on affected vehicles.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “In April, the company began remotely detecting unlock devices and disabling FSD access on affected vehicles.”