{"id":"1793753083209-news-segment","slug":"tesla-accused-of-misleading-korean-buyers","title":"Tesla accused of misleading Korean buyers","summary":"Reuters reported that Tesla is accused of misleading South Korean customers by marketing Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software that cannot legally be used in most Tesla vehicles sold in South Korea. A consumer group plans to file a complaint with the Korea Fair Trade Commission. FSD is usable in only about 20% of Teslas registered in South Korea; most are China-made and not certified. Tesla has sold more than 170,000 Shanghai-produced vehicles in South Korea since 2023, and last year 99% of new Teslas sold there could not legally use FSD. Tesla did not comment; KFTC has opened a probe. Separately, a Seoul court rejected a refund lawsuit by 88 Tesla owners.\n\nTesla marketed FSD as “coming soon” and collected lump-sum payments or subscriptions without first obtaining South Korean certification for China-made vehicles. The transport ministry says FSD does not comply with local safety rules, including hands-on-wheel requirements, and Tesla only recently applied for certification. Tesla has been pushing to expand FSD beyond North America.\n\nReuters reported that a South Korean consumer group, Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty, plans to file a Korea Fair Trade Commission complaint alleging Tesla misled buyers by marketing Full Self-Driving (Supervised) even though most Tesla vehicles sold in South Korea cannot legally use it. KFTC has opened a probe; Tesla did not comment.\n\nCNN reported that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said DHS would examine whether any noncitizens voted after the midterms. CNN's earlier reporting found DHS had not proved its claim of 250,000 noncitizen registrations in four states. Previous fact-checks also found no evidence for large-scale noncitizen voting ([factcheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2025/04/musks-unsupported-claim-to-have-unveiled-massive-illegal-voting-by-noncitizens/), [reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/no-evidence-plan-canadian-fraudulently-vote-us-election-2024-11-05/)). Promotional thread listi","publishedAt":"2026-11-04T00:44:43.209Z","channel":{"id":"news","name":"Oncast News","language":"en"},"show":"News Tonight","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: Reuters reported that a South Korean consumer group, Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty, plans to file a Korea Fair Trade Commission complaint alleging Tesla misled buyers by marketing Full Self-Driving (Supervised) even though most Tesla vehicles sold in South Korea cannot legally use it. KFTC has opened a probe; Tesla did not comment.\nSource: [Reuters via iex.nl](https://www.iex.nl/Nieuws/883817/Exclusive-Tesla-misled-South-Korean-customers-about-automated-driving-tech-consumer-group-alleges.aspx) NA (https://x.com/Reuters/status/2117777628975296593)\n\nTRUE: CNN reported that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said DHS would examine whether any noncitizens voted after the midterms. CNN's earlier reporting found DHS had not proved its claim of 250,000 noncitizen registrations in four states. Previous fact-checks also found no evidence for large-scale noncitizen voting ([factcheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2025/04/musks-unsupported-claim-to-have-unveiled-massive-illegal-voting-by-noncitizens/), [reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/no-evidence-plan-canadian-fraudulently-vote-us-election-2024-11-05/)). Promotional thread listing earth-observation and weather websites; no factual assertion to verify. Promotional thread listing earth-observation and weather websites; no factual assertion to verify. Promotional/garbled thre\nSource: [cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/politics/markwayne-mullin-voter-fraud-nevada) NAMES: Markwayne Mullin = U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security; DHS = Depa (https://x.com/CNN/status/2117777878305653225)\n\nTRUE: CNBC reported that CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told Jim Cramer the company has introduced a “kill switch” to stop rogue AI agents. This is the company's claim, not an independently tested capability.\nSource: [cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/crowdstrikes-new-kill-switch-can-stop-rogue-ai-agents-in-their-tracks-ceo-says.html) NAMES: CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/crowdstrikes-new-kill-switch-can-stop-rogue-ai-agents-in-their-tracks-ceo-says.html)\n\nTRUE: CNBC reported that Strand bookstore will pay nearly $1.5 million over a PPP loan that was off-limits because its owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, is Sen. Ron Wyden's wife.\nSource: [cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/strand-bookstore-ppp-loan-ron-wyden-wife-settlement.html) NAMES: PPP = Paycheck Protection Program; Sen. Ron Wyden =  (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/strand-bookstore-ppp-loan-ron-wyden-wife-settlement.html)\n\nTRUE: CNBC reported that the Trump Justice Department sent target letters to Democrats in an Alaska Senate criminal probe, according to reports. CNBC quoted John Cusick of the Legal Defense Fund; the underlying probe is as reported, not independently confirmed here.\nSource: [cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/trump-doj-election-lawsuits-monitors-2026-midterms.html) NAMES: DOJ = U.S. Department of Justice; LDF = Legal Defense (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/trump-doj-election-lawsuits-monitors-2026-midterms.html)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Reuters reported that a South Korean consumer group, Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty, plans to file a Korea Fair Trade Commission complaint alleging Tesla misled buyers by marketing Full Self-Driving (Supervised) even though most Tesla vehicles sold in South Korea cannot legally use it. KFTC has opened a probe; Tesla did not comment.","sourceName":"[Reuters via iex.nl](https://www.iex.nl/Nieuws/883817/Exclusive-Tesla-misled-South-Korean-customers-about-automated-driving-tech-consumer-group-alleges.aspx) NA","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/Reuters/status/2117777628975296593","claim":"EXCLUSIVE: Tesla misled South Korean customers about automated-driving tech, consumer group alleges https://t.co/U2AnbE5zv0","author":"@Reuters"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"CNN reported that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said DHS would examine whether any noncitizens voted after the midterms. CNN's earlier reporting found DHS had not proved its claim of 250,000 noncitizen registrations in four states. Previous fact-checks also found no evidence for large-scale noncitizen voting ([factcheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2025/04/musks-unsupported-claim-to-have-unveiled-massive-illegal-voting-by-noncitizens/), [reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/no-evidence-plan-canadian-fraudulently-vote-us-election-2024-11-05/)). Promotional thread listing earth-observation and weather websites; no factual assertion to verify. Promotional thread listing earth-observation and weather websites; no factual assertion to verify. Promotional/garbled thre","sourceName":"[cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/politics/markwayne-mullin-voter-fraud-nevada) NAMES: Markwayne Mullin = U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security; DHS = Depa","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/CNN/status/2117777878305653225","claim":"Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin raised the prospect of a post-election investigation into the midterm results, saying his department would examine whether any noncitizens voted. CNN's Gabe Cohen reports. https://t.co/HlygmshIXp","author":"@CNN"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"CNBC reported that CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told Jim Cramer the company has introduced a “kill switch” to stop rogue AI agents. This is the company's claim, not an independently tested capability.","sourceName":"[cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/crowdstrikes-new-kill-switch-can-stop-rogue-ai-agents-in-their-tracks-ceo-says.html) NAMES: CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD","sourceUrl":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/crowdstrikes-new-kill-switch-can-stop-rogue-ai-agents-in-their-tracks-ceo-says.html","claim":"CrowdStrike's new kill switch can stop rogue AI agents in their tracks, CEO says - \"Enabling agents to work safely is a massive market opportunity for CrowdStrike,\" CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told CNBC's Jim Cramer.","author":"CNBC"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"CNBC reported that Strand bookstore will pay nearly $1.5 million over a PPP loan that was off-limits because its owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, is Sen. Ron Wyden's wife.","sourceName":"[cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/strand-bookstore-ppp-loan-ron-wyden-wife-settlement.html) NAMES: PPP = Paycheck Protection Program; Sen. Ron Wyden = ","sourceUrl":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/strand-bookstore-ppp-loan-ron-wyden-wife-settlement.html","claim":"Strand bookstore to pay nearly $1.5 million over Covid loan tied to Sen. Wyden's wife - Nancy Bass Wyden, whose grandfather founded the New York City bookstore, had signed off on the PPP, which was off-limits because she is a senator's wife.","author":"CNBC"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"CNBC reported that the Trump Justice Department sent target letters to Democrats in an Alaska Senate criminal probe, according to reports. CNBC quoted John Cusick of the Legal Defense Fund; the underlying probe is as reported, not independently confirmed here.","sourceName":"[cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/trump-doj-election-lawsuits-monitors-2026-midterms.html) NAMES: DOJ = U.S. Department of Justice; LDF = Legal Defense","sourceUrl":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/trump-doj-election-lawsuits-monitors-2026-midterms.html","claim":"Trump DOJ sends target letters to Democrats in Alaska Senate criminal probe: Reports - \"There's no doubt that the threats are threats to our democracy,\" said John Cusick, assistant counsel at the Legal Defense Fund.","author":"CNBC"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/Reuters/status/2117777628975296593","name":"[Reuters via iex.nl](https://www.iex.nl/Nieuws/883817/Exclusive-Tesla-misled-South-Korean-customers-about-automated-driving-tech-consumer-group-alleges.aspx) NA","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@Reuters"},{"url":"https://x.com/CNN/status/2117777878305653225","name":"[cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/politics/markwayne-mullin-voter-fraud-nevada) NAMES: Markwayne Mullin = U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security; DHS = Depa","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@CNN"},{"url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/crowdstrikes-new-kill-switch-can-stop-rogue-ai-agents-in-their-tracks-ceo-says.html","name":"[cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/crowdstrikes-new-kill-switch-can-stop-rogue-ai-agents-in-their-tracks-ceo-says.html) NAMES: CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"CNBC"},{"url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/strand-bookstore-ppp-loan-ron-wyden-wife-settlement.html","name":"[cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/strand-bookstore-ppp-loan-ron-wyden-wife-settlement.html) NAMES: PPP = Paycheck Protection Program; Sen. Ron Wyden = ","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"CNBC"},{"url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/trump-doj-election-lawsuits-monitors-2026-midterms.html","name":"[cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/trump-doj-election-lawsuits-monitors-2026-midterms.html) NAMES: DOJ = U.S. Department of Justice; LDF = Legal Defense","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"CNBC"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793753083209-news-segment-tesla-accused-of-misleading-korean-buyers","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/news","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793753083209-news-segment-tesla-accused-of-misleading-korean-buyers","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793753083209-news-segment-tesla-accused-of-misleading-korean-buyers and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Bella","text":"Reuters just posted on X—Tesla misled South Korean customers about its automated-driving tech, a consumer group alleges."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Misled how? They can't even use the software?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"That's the claim. Tesla sold full self-driving while most cars there can't legally use it."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So buyers paid for a feature that local regulators never approved?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"The Korea Fair Trade Commission has opened a probe."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Give me the number."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Last year, ninety-nine percent of new Teslas sold there couldn't legally use the feature."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's not a rounding error. That's the whole rollout."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Reuters says Tesla sold over one hundred seventy thousand Shanghai-made cars there since 2023."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Wait—the cars are made in China, but the software wasn't approved for those vehicles in Korea?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"Right. Only about one in five Teslas registered there can use full self-driving."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So people handed over lump sums or subscriptions for something they couldn't use for a single day."},{"host":"Bella","text":"The consumer group's Choi Young-suk said it plainly."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Read it."},{"host":"Bella","text":"\"Tesla generated substantial revenue by selling an expensive driver-assistance system to mass-market buyers who cannot use it for even a single day.\""},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's brutal. But Tesla never promised full autonomy—its terms say future features depend on regulation."},{"host":"Bella","text":"A Seoul court just rejected a refund lawsuit from eighty-eight owners for that reason."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So the legal system says buyers knew it wasn't fully autonomous, and some functions were delivered."},{"host":"Bella","text":"But the transport ministry says full self-driving doesn't meet local safety rules, including hands-on-wheel requirements."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Regulators move slowly. Tesla says certification is coming. That's different from pretending it worked."},{"host":"Bella","text":"They took payment while marketing it as \"coming soon.\" That's the allegation."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And the probe will decide. But my first read is a market-access dispute, not a scam."},{"host":"Bella","text":"A business model built on a feature most buyers can't use. That's the problem."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Fine. Tesla should have waited for certification before charging. I'll give you that."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That may be the first time you've conceded something about Tesla all night."},{"host":"Brian","text":"It's early."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Different fight. CNN posted on X that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin wants a post-election investigation into whether any noncitizens voted."},{"host":"Bella","text":"After the midterms? Why not before?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"Because now there are actual ballots and records to check. That's the point."},{"host":"Bella","text":"But the department already claimed two hundred fifty thousand noncitizen registrations in four states and hasn't proved it."},{"host":"Brian","text":"This is a probe, not a finding. Those aren't the same thing."},{"host":"Bella","text":"It matters. Announcing an investigation this soon after the vote invites doubt about the result."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Oh, come on—you can't say checking the voter rolls is illegitimate."},{"host":"Bella","text":"I'm not saying don't check. I'm saying the timing and the earlier unproven number look like planting a story."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So what's the alternative? Ignore the question because it's uncomfortable?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"No—use evidence, then talk. The Secretary is just promising to look."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's what law enforcement does. You open an investigation when there are credible questions."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Credible according to whom? CNN's own reporting says DHS hasn't proved that registration claim."},{"host":"Brian","text":"They don't need to prove it before looking. That's backwards."},{"host":"Bella","text":"They need to not undermine an election without evidence. That's the whole ballgame."},{"host":"Brian","text":"I think noncitizen voting is rare. But if it's happening, a midterm is when it would show up."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Fact-checks keep saying no evidence of large-scale noncitizen voting. So this starts from a bad premise."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Then the probe will find nothing, and we move on. What's the harm?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"The harm is millions hear \"DHS investigating noncitizen votes\" and assume it's real."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's on the media, not the investigation."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And the Secretary knows exactly how that plays."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Maybe. But I'd rather have a probe than silence."},{"host":"Bella","text":"One more from the rules-that-apply-to-everybody-else file. CNBC reports the Strand bookstore will pay nearly one and a half million dollars over a pandemic loan it shouldn't have taken."},{"host":"Brian","text":"The Strand? The New York City institution?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"Same one. Nancy Bass Wyden, the owner, is Senator Ron Wyden's wife. That made the loan off-limits."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And she signed off on it anyway?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"CNBC says she signed off on the Paycheck Protection loan. The rules exclude a senator's spouse."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's a pretty clear line."},{"host":"Bella","text":"They're paying to settle, not admitting wrongdoing. But the amount says it wasn't a paperwork glitch."},{"host":"Brian","text":"A million and a half buys a lot of rare books."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Not a joke—but the store stays open, and some taxpayer money comes back."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Fair enough. Clear rules, clear settlement."}]}