Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton has become the latest firm to state its Seoul aspirations, announcing Wednesday that it plans to open an office in South Korea’s capital city sometime in the first quarter of 2012.

Byoung Soo “Seth” Kim, a finance and bankruptcy partner who works out of the firm’s New York and Los Angeles offices and heads its Korea practice, will relocate to Seoul to lead the new office.