South Korean police referred 80 Tesla owners to prosecutors for using unauthorized devices to activate the company’s Full Self-Driving software on vehicles barred from running the system. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed the action after confiscating 21 plug-in devices designed to crack regional software locks.
Suspects face statutory penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won, roughly 12,000 euros, under the Motor Vehicle Management Act. The statute treats unauthorized electronic alterations that affect safe vehicle operation as criminal infractions rather than contractual disputes.
How Drivers Bypassed Regional Controls
Investigators found owners tapped directly into the controller area network bus, the internal wiring system that shuttles electronic commands between automotive modules. These imported and homemade modules bypassed factory restrictions that keep the driver-assist feature turned off on uncertified cars.
Drivers sourced specialized hardware from Europe and China, while at least one technician in the information technology sector built a custom bridge using open-source code and public schematics. Members of online driver groups then traded step-by-step instructions on running the software and clearing electronic logs to evade automated detection during routine service visits.
Trade Rules Split the Tesla Fleet
The regulatory fracture runs along factory origins. South Korea permits Full Self-Driving only on American-built Model S and Model X units, as well as the Cybertruck, because those vehicles enter the country under vehicle safety exemptions negotiated in the bilateral free trade agreement with the United States.
Chinese-built Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers do not benefit from those trade terms. They require distinct domestic safety certification from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport before advanced autonomous features can operate legally on public roads.
Liability Shifts to the Driver Seat
For automotive brands and fleet operators selling software-defined vehicles across Asia, the Seoul case draws a clear legal boundary. Ownership of onboard sensors, computer processors and code does not confer legal permission to run automated driving features if a transport ministry has not certified the software version for that exact model line.
Automakers face technical liabilities when customers alter safety logic. Unsanctioned activations risk sensor blind spots, misread road markers and erratic control outputs, which could draw punitive recalls onto manufacturers if tampered vehicles crash. Tesla began remotely cutting off software access for modified vehicles and warned owners that tampering voids factory warranties, which exposes drivers to direct civil claims in accidents.
Investigation Followed Transport Ministry Inquiry
The criminal inquiry began in April following a formal enforcement request from the transport ministry. Police traffic investigators collaborated with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority to inspect seized hardware and map changes made to the functional logic of the vehicle platform.
We are working closely with related agencies, including asking the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and [the] Korea Transportation Safety Authority for advice on technical matters such as changes to FSD’s functional structure. We will continue to actively investigate illegal acts that threaten road safety.
Public prosecutors in Seoul must now determine how many of the 80 referred drivers will face formal indictments in district court. That decision will set the legal precedent for how Asian transport authorities treat unauthorized consumer modifications on connected electric vehicles.
