Korean Police Book 80 Tesla Drivers Over Illegal FSD Unlock Devices

Seoul police have booked 80 individuals for using aftermarket devices to enable Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability in vehicles not certified for the feature in South Korea. Officers seized 21 of the unauthorized hardware modules during the enforcement action.

What Happened

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced the case on Tuesday, marking the largest crackdown to date against FSD "jailbreak" hardware that has proliferated in China, Europe, and Korea. Investigators stated that suspects either imported unlock modules from Europe and China or manufactured their own using information found on platforms like GitHub. The devices plug into the car’s CAN bus to bypass regional software restrictions, and users shared online advice on how to prevent the vehicle from logging the activation.

The suspects are charged under Korea’s Motor Vehicle Management Act, which prohibits unauthorized software changes that impact vehicle safety. Penalties include up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (approximately $15,000). The investigation began in April after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport identified signs of unauthorized activation. A police official confirmed safety risks, including the potential for FSD to misread driving conditions, and noted that the inquiry remains ongoing in consultation with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

Why It Matters

The crackdown highlights a regulatory gap affecting the majority of Tesla owners in South Korea. Tesla launched FSD (Supervised) in late 2025, but it is only legally available on US-built Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck models, which are exempt from Korean safety certification under the Korea-US free trade agreement. The Model 3 and Model Y, shipped from Giga Shanghai, have not cleared local standards for the feature. While data from Carisyou Data Lab indicates 20.7% of Teslas on Korean roads can legally use FSD, earlier government data suggested only 2.4% were eligible. Regardless of the exact figure, most owners cannot legally run the software despite paying over $6,000 for it.

Tesla has actively fought these modifications since April, using remote detection to strip FSD from affected cars, warning owners of liability for crashes and potential warranty loss, and permanently banning some Chinese users from the feature. The hardware similarity between models allows the jailbreak to function, creating a persistent market for unauthorized activation among owners of non-certified vehicles.

The Bottom Line

Korean authorities are prosecuting the use of aftermarket hardware to enable Tesla’s Full Self-Driving in non-certified vehicles, with penalties including prison time or heavy fines. The enforcement action underscores the disconnect between consumer demand for the feature and the current regulatory framework for Shanghai-built models.