O'Melveny & Myers has announced plans to open an office in Seoul, becoming the latest law firm to target the Korea market, reports The Asian Lawyer.

The Los Angeles-based firm says it has filed an application with the Korean Ministry of Justice to open an office in the country's capital. The new office will focus on antitrust and intellectual property litigation, as well as M&A.

The firm has hired to two counsels to man the new base. Sunyong Kang and Jinwon Park were both previously partner-level foreign legal consultants at Korean law firm Shin & Kim specialising in cross-border investments, M&A, and international trade. They are currently based in O'Melveny's Hong Kong.

O'Melveny is the latest US firm to announce Korea plans since the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement was approved by both countries last autumn.

Prior to that, foreign firms had been barred from having offices in Korea. Paul Hastings, Ropes & Gray, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton are among those that have said they will open in Seoul once they have received all necessary approvals.

Clifford Chance, Ropes & Gray and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton all recently received Foreign Legal Consultant approval for their nominated lead partners and are set to become the first international firms with offices in South Korea.

In a statement, O'Melveny said it hopes to better serve Korean clients including Samsung Electronics and chip maker SK Hynix by being on the ground. Last year, the firm successfully defended Samsung against multiple patent infringement claims brought by a Japanese competitor Murata Manufacturing Co.

O'Melveny's Korea practice will continue to be led by Los Angeles partner Joseph Kim. Other partners active in the practice include George Riley in San Francisco and Ryan Yagura and Kenneth O'Rourke in Los Angeles.