Seoul police refer 80 for unlocking Tesla FSD with illicit devices
Seoul police said on October 27 that 80 people were referred to prosecutors for allegedly switching on Tesla's supervised FSD with devices bought abroad or built themselves. In Korea, FSD is officially offered only on eligible U.S.-built Teslas; unlocking it on other cars with a device is illegal and can be unsafe.
## What happened
On October 27, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's traffic crime investigation team said it had booked and referred 80 people to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Motor Vehicle Management Act. They allegedly connected unauthorized devices to their cars to switch on Tesla's driver-assistance feature, FSD (Supervised). Police seized 21 devices.
According to police, some devices were bought from sellers in Europe, China and elsewhere, and some were built using source code published overseas. Some suspects allegedly shared, in online communities, how to unlock the feature and how to avoid leaving traces in the car. The case began with a referral from the transport ministry, with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority giving technical advice.
## Official feature vs. unauthorized unlocking
Tesla Korea began rolling out FSD (Supervised) by over-the-air update on November 23, 2025, starting with U.S.-built HW4 cars such as the Model S and X. Since July 10, 2026, a lighter version (v14 Lite) has been rolling out to U.S.-built HW3 Model 3 and Model Y cars that have the FSD option. This is possible because, under the Korea-U.S. FTA, cars built to U.S. safety standards are accepted as meeting Korean ones.
China-built Model 3 and Model Y cars, which make up most Teslas sold in Korea, are not eligible. Plugging a device into such a car to turn the feature on without the maker's update and approval is the "unauthorized activation" at issue here.
## Safety and legal risks
Police said features unlocked this way were found to risk misreading road conditions or acting against the driver's intent. Even official FSD is a Level 2 assistance system: the driver must watch the road at all times, be ready to take over, and is responsible in a crash.
The Motor Vehicle Management Act bans changing or installing software that affects safe driving without approval. Violations carry up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won. The 80 people have not been tried, and none has been found guilty.
## What to check
Check whether your car is officially eligible for FSD in the Tesla app, on the car's screen, or with an official service center. Don't buy or connect "FSD unlock" devices sold online or in communities. If you're buying a used Tesla, have it checked for any unknown devices.
## Why it matters
There are many Teslas on Gangnam's roads. Hands-free driving may look convenient, but outside the official route it can put pedestrians and other drivers at risk, not just the person behind the wheel. This case is a reminder to know which cars are eligible and which are not.
Announced 2026-10-27 by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (release time 12:00 KST) / Checked 2026-10-27 23:00 KST
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- 2026-10-27