Korea Expressway Corporation and Road Traffic Authority said at the 2026 National Assembly audit: “We have never received a formal request from Tesla to test FSD”

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

At the 2026 National Audit, a representative from the Korea Road Traffic Authority stated in response to questions regarding Tesla FSD from Democratic Party of Korea (Daejeon Seogu-gup) Jang Jong-tae (Rep.) that “Tesla Korea has never formally requested the Authority to conduct an FSD test.”

This statement directly contradicts the implication, according to a recent article by a domestic media outlet, that despite Tesla expressing its intention to provide vehicles for FSD-related verification, there had been no track record of such verification. The Road Traffic Authority representative also responded to the lawmaker’s questions regarding the issue of introducing Tesla’s autonomous driving feature, FSD, in Korea. The Authority stated, “There are no international standards for FSD. Currently, Teslas produced in the United States have their functions operating under the basic agreement of the Korea-U.S. FTA, but Chinese-made products do not.” Additionally, regarding Chinese-made Teslas, they answered, “Tesla FSD, as its name ‘autonomous driving’ suggests, requires minimizing driver intervention and holding the manufacturer liable in the event of an accident, but Tesla shifts the responsibility to the driver. This is why it has failed to meet international standards.”

Jang Jong-tae (Rep.) further pointed out, “Currently, most of the Teslas sold in Korea number more than 10,000 units per month and are mostly Chinese-made. However, since only U.S.-made Teslas can use FSD, the majority of Teslas cannot utilize it. Is this a modern-day isolationist policy?”

In response, the Authority representative defended their position by stating, “The Authority maintains an open stance regarding FSD safety standards. However, Tesla Korea has never formally requested a test from the Authority.” Seo Yeong-deuk, CEO of Tesla Korea, was also present in the same room. He did not add any remarks. Jang Jong-tae (Rep.) then asked again, “Is there a plan to promote approval for FSD?” and the Authority responded, “We will review it according to its intent.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original