Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has become one of the latest three foreign law firms to receive approval from Korea’s Ministry of Justice to open an office in Seoul, taking the total number of approved licence applications in the country to 16.

HSF joins US firms Greenberg Traurig and McKenna Long & Aldridge winning licences, with the trio the first to be granted approval to launch so far this year, after DLA Piper was given the go-ahead to set up shop in December.