South Korea to send extra 3,000 troops to Iraq
South Korean politicians yesterday announced that an additional 3,000 troops would be dispatched to Iraq.
The move will make the Asian country the third biggest contributor to coalition forces in Iraq, behind the US and UK
Currently there are 675 South Korean engineers and medical staff in Iraq.
A decision was made last month to send extra troops but the announcement Wednesday by Yoon Young-kwan, South Korea’s foreign minister, stated the exact figure.
He said: “It is important for us to participate in international efforts to bring peace and stability to the Iraqi people, instead of dismissing the issue as none of our business.”
Seoul has pledged $260m to aid reconstruction in Iraq.
The additional troops including combat-ready special operations soldiers and marines are likely to be deployed in March next year.
Asian neighbour, Japan, has pledged to send about 1,000 soldiers.
