By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter

South Korea’s military delegation, which returned home Monday after conducting a nine-day survey in Irbil, Iraq, said that two sites where additional troops will be stationed were selected.

``Our troops, called `Zaytun,’ will likely be deployed at two locations: one is state-owned land, 1.5 kilometers from the airport in Irbil, and the other is privately-owned land, 30 kilometers away from the airport,’’ Maj. Gen. Song Ki-seok, who led the mission, said to Yonhap News Agency.

Song went on to say residents in Irbil welcome Seoul’s plan to send 3,600 additional military force, and Iraqi authorities have made an effort to support the troop dispatch by launching a cooperation committee under the auspices of the prime minister’s office.

Irbil is located in northern Iraq, and is mainly governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government, which has already promised to provide four square kilometers of land to the Korean troops and to let them use the main airport.

Song’s remarks came after his team held a series of discussions with senior government officials in Irbil, who proposed three locations for ROK troops to settle.

The Iraqi officials are said to have recommended the sites due to their proximity to the airport, favorable to Korean forces for logistics purposes.

The Seoul government will officially announce the final troop dispatch site on Thursday at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting based on Song’s report on the suggested locations.

According to an official at the Defense Ministry, the Zaytun will be sent to the Middle East country as early as late this month if the NSC gives the go-ahead for the two proposed sites in the northern Iraqi town.

yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr