Update, August 19, 2026: South Korea’s FSD launch remained FSD (Supervised) on a small set of U.S.-built HW4 cars. The Korea Herald (Dec. 7, 2025) said Korea was Tesla’s seventh FSD market and that most local Teslas are China-built and were left out. A lawmaker’s complimentary ride is not a Robotaxi permit.
On December 17, 2025 South Korean National Assembly member Lee So-young (이소영, Democratic Party) posted that she had ridden Tesla FSD in Seoul in a Model S: National Assembly → Mangwon Market → Hongik University → back. She wrote that it “drives just as well as most people do” and “already feels like a completed technology,” while noting she had already ridden an unmanned robotaxi (not a Tesla Korea service). English follow-up: her Dec. 18 X post. Electric Vehicles summarized the same day. This is one politician’s supervised ride after Tesla Korea opened FSD (Supervised). It is not Hyundai approval, and not unsupervised Robotaxi in Seoul.
Sawyer, thank you for mentioning my post. I’ve just found out that my experience has been share by a lot of people including Elon and Tesla AI. Tesla's recent launch of FSD was the first public application in Korea. … I plan to encourage more policymakers in the country to give it a try.
— Soyoung Lee (@im_soyounglee) December 18, 2025
Key facts
- Who: Lee So-young, National Assembly, Dec. 17 ride / Dec. 18 English post.
- What she drove: Tesla FSD on a Model S in Seoul, with a human in the car (Supervised).
- Korea market context: Tesla said FSD Supervised was coming (Tesla Korea X, November); Korea Herald said rollout started early December on U.S.-built HW4, ~0.3% of local Teslas.
- What this is not: A vote of the Assembly, a Level 4 permit, or FSD on China-made Model 3/Y in Korea.
A review is not a regulation
Lee said she wants more policymakers to try it. That is advocacy. Korea Herald’s point stands: Korean law still treats this as Level 2 driver assistance, liability with the driver. Tesery’s U.S. v14.2.2 note is a different software train.
FAQ
Did the Korean government approve Robotaxi?
No. This is one member’s FSD (Supervised) ride.
Can every Korean Tesla owner buy FSD?
Herald: only U.S.-built HW4 cars. Almost all 2025 Korean Teslas were China-built.
Did she say it was flawless?
She said it drives as well as most people and feels finished. That is her review, not a safety study.
For owners: if your Korean VIN is not HW4 U.S.-built, this ride-along is not your software. Supervised still means you watch the road.
Featured photo: 2023 Tesla Model S (file photo of the sedan body she said she rode, not her Seoul dashcam). Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Related: Tesla Korea said FSD Supervised was coming · Korea as Tesla’s seventh FSD market · Musk’s UAE FSD “hopefully” timeline
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