Samsung Refrigerators Malfunction After Update Right Before Chuseok, Sparking Outrage

Just ahead of the Chuseok holiday, consumers are voicing intense frustration as Samsung Electronics' latest refrigerators suddenly powered down and stopped working following a software update.

Dozens of posts stating that refrigerator power shut off and the units became completely unresponsive have been uploaded to Samsung Electronics' online community, Samsung Members, and other platforms starting yesterday afternoon.

Consumers reporting damage stated that the breakdowns occurred immediately after they received a refrigerator update notification through SmartThings, Samsung Electronics' smart home platform, and proceeded with the update.

One consumer vented, "When I came home from work, the interior lights of the refrigerator were off and touch inputs were not recognized, so all the cold air had escaped," adding, "I am about to throw away all the holiday food I bought in advance ahead of the long weekend."

Another victim criticized Samsung Electronics' response, saying, "Even though this malfunction occurred, the service center informed me that an on-site repair would only be possible after the holiday."

The models experiencing issues are known to be mostly the Bespoke AI 4-Door Refrigerator series released since 2024.

Consumers are reportedly getting by with temporary measures such as packing dry ice into their refrigerators while demanding countermeasures.

As the controversy grew, Samsung Electronics apologized for the inconvenience through a notice.

The company requested consumers to "schedule a service visit appointment for accurate verification and action," while urging them to move stored food to ice boxes or similar containers to prevent spoilage.

However, consumer frustration is mounting further as even the on-site repair reservation system has experienced access disruptions.

Samsung Electronics stated that it will first operate an on-call duty system across September 26 and 27, and provide emergency on-site service if urgent repairs are needed due to refrigerator or freezer failures.

(Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video Editing by Kim Kihyun | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.