(2nd LD) S. Korean troops in Iraq to pull out by Dec. 20: official

(ATTN: CORRECTS to 520 the number of South Korean troops currently stationed in Iraq
in 7th para)
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- All South Korean troops currently stationed in the
northern Iraqi city of Irbil will be pulled out before the end of this year,
ending the country's four-year presence as part of the U.S.-led war on terrorism
in the Middle Eastern country, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry said
Wednesday.
"There are no changes to the basic plan to withdraw the Zaytun unit before the
end of December," the spokesman, Won Tae-jae, said in a daily press briefing.
"According to a tentative schedule, the unit will transfer all its missions to
U.S. forces there and start pulling out in early December and will be back in the
country no later than Dec. 20," Won added.
The pullout comes as a one-year extension of South Korea's troop deployment
expires at the end of this year.
Seoul did not request the National Assembly for another extension and says there
has been no request from the United States for an extended stay of the South
Korean contingent in Iraq.
The ministry spokesman said part of the unit's equipment will be donated to Iraqi
forces and the rest will be shipped back to the country via a cargo ship by early
next year.
The South Korean unit in Iraq began its deployment in 2004 with some 3,600
troops, but the troop level has been reduced to some 520 over the course of three
one-year extensions, according to ministry officials.
Meanwhile, Zaytun's 130-member air support unit in Kuwait, known as Daiman, will
also be pulled out by Dec. 20, the ministry spokesman said.