Days before Chuseok, some Samsung Bespoke AI four-door refrigerators in South Korea stopped cooling after a software update arrived through the SmartThings app. Owners reported dark displays, disconnected appliances and food that had to be discarded. Samsung said an error during internal testing had led to the update reaching customers. It halted the rollout, said the problem was limited to Korea and activated emergency service. The fridges’ AI Vision feature recognizes groceries and suggests recipes; reporting has not linked that feature to the outage. Samsung’s own explanation points to its software test process.

An official update prompt placed the company’s software in the middle of a household routine. After some owners followed it, their refrigerator lost its central function of preserving food. Samsung directed affected customers to its service centers, so the immediate remedy became a technician visit. Public reports had not established how many homes were affected or when every unit would be restored. Chuseok brings family visits and shared meals; some households reached the holiday with spoiled groceries and a service appointment. A connected appliance can change after purchase, and this time that change reached the refrigerator’s cold compartment.