Samsung apologizes over recalled air conditioners

By Lee Youkyung
SEOUL, July 19 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. issued another apology Tuesday over malfunctions of its air conditioners as consumer complaints escalated despite its decision to recall affected products.
Earlier this month, Samsung said that it will recall four air conditioner models sold in South Korea between January and June of this year, as the software program caused air conditioners to malfunction.
Samsung issued another apology earlier in the day saying that the company's engineers completed repairing 74 percent of the affected models.
The malfunction did not pose safety hazards to consumers and the problem was not "critical," said Ko Ho-jin, a spokesman for the company.
Ko declined to disclose the number of affected products sold in the country, but local media reported that about 60,000 air conditioners were affected. No affected air conditioners were sold overseas, he added.
Samsung issued the recall on July 4 in response to escalating complaints from local consumers that its air conditioners, dubbed "Kim Yu-na air conditioner" after the figure skating star who was hired as its spokesmodel, suddenly stopped operating every few minutes.
One Internet community asking a full refund from Samsung was launched a day after Samsung issued the recall and lured about 2,800 members as of Tuesday.
ylee@yna.co.kr