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SEOUL: South Korea on Monday officially ended its four-year military mission to Iraq and plans to bring back all remaining troops before Christmas, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
It said a ceremony hosted by US commander General Raymond Odierno would be held later Monday in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil to mark the termination of operations.
The unit would start pulling out Wednesday, along with troops from an air support unit based in neighbouring Kuwait, the joint chiefs' office said in a statement.
The withdrawal will be completed before December 20.
Seoul sent 3,600 engineering and medical troops in 2004 and extended the deployment four times at the request of the United States.
The number in the contingent, known as Zaytun (olive), has been gradually cut to 520. It has suffered no battle casualties.
The troops have provided medical services to almost 89,000 local residents, and offered vocational classes to 2,299 people, the office said. It has also built a variety of clinics and other public buildings.
South Korea's parliament last December approved a one-year extension on condition the troops were pulled out by December this year.
Defence officials have said there was no US request this time to extend the deployment.
- AFP/yb
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