Autonomous Driving Commercialization Clock Accelerates... Hyundai Motor Group Faces Critical Window to Secure 'Golden Time' Tesla is shaking up the existing landscape of South Korea's imported car market, and the race to commercialize autonomous driving technology is now in full swing. Last month, Tesla's Model Y overtook Hyundai's Grandeur to become the best-selling vehicle in South Korea. This is despite the fact that the Model Y and Model 3 sold in the country are made in China and therefore do not qualify for the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) exemption, meaning the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature cannot be used. While price promotions certainly contributed to the sales increase, industry analysts suggest that expectations of FSD eventually being unlocked are driving purchases. In fact, consumer interest is so high that 85 cases of unauthorized FSD activation attempts had been detected by the end of April. Lee Sang-soo, an analyst at iM Securities, said, "The way consumers are buying Teslas now resembles how they bought Apple iPhones five to six years ago. A brand image has formed that makes consumers choose Tesla even when the price gap with the Ioniq 5 isn't significant." The momentum Tesla has created is likely to spread across the imported car segment. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is pursuing the adoption of the European Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS) certification framework. The effort involves incorporating UNECE's UN R171 regulation into domestic standards, which would permit automated lane changes that have been blocked until now. The government plans to complete the process as early as next year, or within three years at the latest. Once the gates open, brands waiting in the wings will enter all at once. Mercedes-Benz will launch the Level 2++ "MB.Drive Assist Pro," built on Nvidia's autonomous driving platform, in Europe