Seoul Police Arrest 80 Tesla Owners for Jailbreaking FSD
Violators of the Motor Vehicle Management Act could face up to two years in prison or fines of $15,000.
Seoul police have arrested 80 Tesla owners for jailbreaking their vehicles to unlock Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities that were not authorized for use in South Korea. The arrests highlight a growing conflict between Tesla owners seeking autonomy features and strict local safety regulations.
What Happened
According to reports from Korea JoongAng Daily, the arrests stem from owners using illegal third-party activation devices or custom software to enable FSD on models where the feature is not legally permitted. Only U.S.-built Teslas, such as the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck, have passed South Korea's safety regulations for FSD. However, the majority of Teslas sold in the country are Chinese-built Model Y and Model 3 units, which do not have access to the feature through official channels.
Owners typically purchased activation devices from Europe or China and installed them themselves, while more technically inclined drivers created their own solutions using software from GitHub. The Korean government views altering vehicle software as a safety violation under the Motor Vehicle Management Act. A police official stated that safety risks were confirmed, including the possibility that jailbroken FSD might fail to properly recognize driving conditions or operate differently from the driver’s intentions.
Why It Matters
The crackdown underscores the disparity in regulatory approval for autonomous driving features across different manufacturing sources. While Chinese-built Teslas are reportedly praised by some customers for better quality control and lower prices, they lack FSD access in South Korea. Conversely, U.S.-built models with legal FSD are in high demand but limited supply, causing used prices for American-made Teslas to surge by as much as 50%.
This situation forces buyers into a difficult choice: pay a significant premium for a used U.S.-built model with legal autonomy features, buy a cheaper new Chinese-built model without FSD, or risk jailbreaking the software and facing potential criminal penalties. The arrests serve as a warning that unauthorized software modifications are being treated as serious safety violations rather than minor consumer tweaks.
The Bottom Line
South Korean authorities are actively enforcing laws against unauthorized FSD activation, with 80 arrests already made. Owners of Chinese-built Teslas who jailbreak their cars face fines up to $15,000 or two years in prison, leaving most drivers to either accept the lack of FSD or pay a steep premium for U.S.-manufactured vehicles.
