Tesla is reshaping South Korea’s vehicle market, with sales projected to exceed 100,000 units this year and Model Y deliveries on track to surpass 80,000. Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association data showed Tesla sold 66,376 vehicles from January through July, while Model Y sales reached 52,064, placing it second overall behind Kia Sorento’s 61,579 but ahead of the Kia every month since May. Tesla’s price competitiveness, technology and emotional appeal are supporting demand despite China-made vehicles’ lack of available Full Self-Driving (FSD), changing prices and safety concerns. The company’s rise is intensifying pressure on Hyundai Motor Group as South Korea considers adopting the European Driver Control Assistance Systems framework and UNECE’s UN R171 regulation, which could permit automated lane changes and enable advanced systems from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Chinese brands. Hyundai plans staged launches of Level 2+, highway autonomous driving and urban Level 2++ systems across Genesis and Kia models, but delays could cost it market share, particularly in luxury vehicles. Connected-car growth is also raising privacy concerns because consent generally comes from vehicle owners even when another person is driving; vehicle telematics lines reached 11.04 million in June, compared with 26.64 million registered vehicles in May. Zeekr’s planned South Korean launch has drawn particular scrutiny over the handling of Korean drivers’ mobility data.