Musk says Koreans kept saying ‘Daebak’ when they first saw Tesla... Why he replied from an account seen by 200 million people

[The Financial News] Elon Musk, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesla, has drawn attention after mentioning how quickly "Koreans" embrace new technologies in a post on social media.
On the 20th (local time), Musk wrote on his own X (formerly Twitter) account, "Koreans are often a step ahead in appreciating new technology."
His remark was a comment on a post by the Tesla-focused long-term investment account "Teslanomics" about Tesla-related stocks.
Teslanomics shared a video of a Korean YouTuber riding in a Tesla with Full Self-Driving (FSD) and reacting to it, explaining, "This is why Koreans are crazy about Tesla. You can immediately see how Koreans react when they first experience Tesla."
The post continued, "Their eyes light up and their jaws drop," adding, "You often see them repeatedly exclaiming 'Daebak,' which means 'this is insane' or 'unbelievable.'"
In November last year, Tesla officially launched "FSD Supervised" in Korea, igniting fierce competition in the domestic autonomous driving market.
As a result, even though Tesla’s global sales slowed last year, the company posted strong sales figures only in the Korean market. Musk’s reaction appears to stem from this trend.
According to Tesla’s investor relations materials, the company sold 1,636,129 vehicles last year, down 8.56% from the previous year, 2024. The relatively high prices, the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to scrap electric vehicle purchase subsidies, and the rapid expansion of market share by cheaper Chinese EVs all contributed to the decline in sales.
In contrast, Tesla’s sales in Korea surged last year. An analysis by the KAIZU Data Research Institute, based on data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, shows that Tesla sold 59,949 vehicles in the Korean market last year, a 101.5% increase compared with 2024.
Industry observers point to the United States–Korea Tariff Negotiations concluded last November, which allowed the FSD Supervised feature to be offered in Korea, as a key reason why consumer interest spiked and sales rose only in the Korean market.
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter