Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology just passed a major international milestone. According to a recent report from the Korea Expressway Corporation, Tesla’s autonomous driving suite received a "bullish" assessment following extensive real-world highway and urban trials.
For Tesla owners and investors in the U.S., this report provides a critical benchmark for how FSD handles complex, high-density infrastructure outside of North America.
$TSLA 🇰🇷
— Tsla Chan (@Tslachan) January 5, 2026
한국도로공사에서 진행한 '테슬라 FSD 고속도로 자율주행 테스트' 결과 보고 문서
• 시내) 전구간에 걸쳐 일반 운전자 이상의 수준으로 자율주행 가능
• 고속도로) 전반적으로 자율주행 기능 우수하지만 신속 이상의 주행모드에서 버스전용차로/속도제한 위반 사례 발생
• 교통흐름에… pic.twitter.com/6TaMWJDzQt
A Comprehensive 8-Hour Autonomous Driving Gauntlet
The test, conducted on December 15, 2025, was far from a simple demonstration. The Korea Expressway Corporation evaluated the system from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., ensuring a variety of lighting and traffic conditions.
The evaluation team—which included the head of South Korea's mobility department—tested all four FSD driving profiles, ranging from the conservative "Sloth" mode to the assertive "Mad Max" setting.
Testing Grounds: From High-Speed Highways to Smart Cities
To push FSD to its limits, the system was tasked with navigating some of Korea's most challenging routes:
-
Major Highways: Gyeongbu, Cheonan, and Cheonan-Nonsan.
-
Urban Hubs: Dongtan New Town, Sejong Special City, and the Daejeon Metropolitan City.
Notably, the test utilized the Model S and Model X—the primary vehicles imported from the U.S. to South Korea. While the Model 3 and Model Y dominate the local market, this test highlights the performance of the flagship U.S.-spec hardware.
Urban Performance: "Exceeding Human Drivers"
The most striking feedback came from the inner-city tests. Evaluators noted that FSD’s performance in dense urban environments has reached a level that exceeds the average human driver in most scenarios.
The report praised FSD for its:
-
Confidence: Decisive merging and lane positioning.
-
Smoothness: Natural acceleration and braking curves.
-
Safety: Proactive hazard identification.
The only remaining "edge cases" identified were unprotected left turns and navigating through complex work zones, areas where Tesla continues to refine its neural network logic.
Highway Excellence and the "Traffic Flow" Philosophy
On the open highway, FSD was described as "excellent." Interestingly, the testers observed that FSD often prioritized natural traffic flow over rigid adherence to local traffic laws.
While the system occasionally "violated" local bus lane restrictions and strict speed limits, these behaviors are often preferred by experienced drivers to maintain safety and momentum. Experts believe these minor local compliance issues can be easily addressed via Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates specifically tuned for the Korean market.
The Verdict: A Massive Win for Tesla Autonomy
The South Korean report concludes that Tesla FSD is no longer just "experimental" software—it is a sophisticated, safety-first system capable of global deployment.
As Tesla continues to optimize its vision-based architecture, this successful test proves that the "American-born" FSD hardware is more than ready for the international stage.
