Samsung will start building a plant in Incheon, South Korea, in the first half of the year, with production expected in the first half of 2013, it said in a statement.

The country's biggest business group is also looking to develop biosimilars, generic copies of biotech drugs used to treat complex diseases like cancer.

"We aim to launch another joint venture for biosimilars this year," Kim Tae-Han, a Samsung senior executive, told a news briefing.

High margins on copycat versions of biotech drugs provide companies with an opportunity for revenue building, while global pharmaceutical players are faced with impending patent expirations.

Samsung Electronics, which had mainly focused on organic growth, recently bought a majority stake in local medical equipment maker Medison, a move that may signal the cash-rich firm's return to the acquisition trail.