Samsung released a software update that caused smart refrigerators to malfunction in South Korea. Thousands of devices stopped operating, leading to rising temperatures in storage compartments and the spoilage of food stored for the Chuseok holiday.
The update, which installed automatically, disabled internal lighting and automated door features. Users reported that manual restarts failed to resolve the issue. The incident occurred just two days before the three-day Chuseok holiday, which runs from September 24 to September 26, 2026.
Many repair services were unavailable due to the holiday, with some service appointments delayed until October 1 or October 7, 2026. Affected users reported significant losses, with some discarding up to 20 kilograms of spoiled food.
Samsung stated it would address the technical issues by September 24, 2026, and promised to deploy emergency service teams. The company is also considering compensation for the spoiled groceries.
