Samsung Electronics has put on hold the SmartThings software update for its refrigerators, following reports that some units ceased functioning entirely after the update was installed. The problem first came to light in South Korea on the afternoon of September 22, just prior to the Chuseok holiday—a significant traditional festival in Korea, akin to Thanksgiving in the United States. A substantial number of users took to the official community forum to voice their complaints, stating that their refrigerators had become inoperable post-update. This forced many to discard food that had been prepared for the holiday festivities.

The models primarily affected are the Bespoke AI four-door series refrigerators, which were launched in 2024 and subsequent years. The mishap occurred because Samsung inadvertently rolled out internal test software to consumers. In response to the incident, Samsung has issued an apology and has requested affected users to schedule a visit from an engineer for repairs. In the meantime, the company is advising users to temporarily store their food in coolers.

Samsung has also arranged for staff to be on duty during select periods of the Chuseok holiday to address any emergency cooling failures. However, the system for scheduling repair appointments is currently overwhelmed, with some users being informed that they will not receive service until after the holiday period. As of now, Samsung has not disclosed the exact number of refrigerators that have been affected, nor has it announced a compensation plan for the losses incurred due to food spoilage.