Clifford Chance (CC) and DLA Piper have appointed new chief representatives in South Korea after both firms saw the departure of their office leaders earlier this year.

DLA has named Daniel Lee as its new chief representative after former office head and UK qualified Korean partner Michael Kim left the firm in February to spearhead Stephenson Harwood's move into the country – which is expected later this year.

Under Korean regulations, to be appointed chief representative of a firm's Seoul office the nominated lawyer must have seven years of experience, be qualified in the firm's home jurisdiction and have practised in that jurisdiction for at least three years.

DLA had originally applied for its Foreign Legal Consultant Office licence through its UK partnership (or International LLP); meaning that US qualified Lee could only work in Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant (FLC).

To facilitate his promotion to chief representative, the firm had to transfer its office licence from the International to US LLP, forcing it to close the Seoul base for a period of four working days between the 24 and 27 June. It reopened on June 30.

CC has meanwhile made ex-Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) arbitrator Thomas Walsh its new office leader, following the departure of energy and resources counsel Brian Cassidy, who moved back to the UK at the end of March for personal reasons.

Walsh, who has been promoted from senior associate to counsel, will work alongside Korean counsel Hyun Suk Kim who specialises in M&A and corporate work.

CC and DLA are among just four UK outfits to have a presence in the country, alongside HSF and Linklaters. US firms currently dominate the market, with 15 on the ground in the jurisdiction.

HSF itself is already on its second Seoul chief representative after construction disputes partner Tony Dymond exited for Debevoise & Plimpton London's office in December – just nine months after the firm's Korea launch.

He was replaced that month by another construction disputes lawyer James Doe, who moved to Seoul from Doha to be chief representative and head of the Korean disputes practice.

South Korea's legal market opened up to international firms after the ratification of free trade agreement (FTAs) with Europe and the US in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

In June 2012 Ropes & Gray, Sheppard Mullin Richter Hampton and CC became the first three foreign firms to receive approval from the Ministry of Justice to launch offices in Seoul, followed by a steady string of overseas outfits later in the year.

British firms generally have found it harder than their US counterparts to enter the market and recruit staff due to a lack of Korean-born lawyers within their partnerships.

CC and Linklaters have partially skirted the issue by appointing UK lawyers as chief representatives but naming and promoting their Korean-born lawyers as practice head and managing partner respectively.