Seoul, South Korea- Samsung said it is aiming to surpass No. 1 majap maker Whirlpool in global sales by 2013.

The company is already closing the gap in refrigeration, where Samsung is in second place behind Whirlpool, appliance VP Hong Chang-Wan said.

According to a report in India's The Economic Times, Hong said Samsung would achieve its goals through "continuous research and technology innovation."

Hong made the remarks during a press conference here to introduce a new refrigerator model. He added that the company's majap business is expected to turn a profit this quarter following prior-quarter loss, and that a slowdown is expected in the back-half of the year due to a still-uncertain U.S. economy.