A South Korean delegation departed for the United States Tuesday for final discussions with Washington on the dispatch of South Korean troops to Iraq.

Led by Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck, the delegation will meet U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless, as well as other high-ranking Washington officials.

The coordination session precedes an annual South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting, a military policy session, to be held in Seoul on Nov. 17th and 18th.

The government is expected to finalize the details of the troop dispatch around that time.

Lee told reporters at Incheon International Airport that the delegation will discuss details of the dispatch after giving the United States background information on the government's decision, the domestic situation and public opinion relating to the impending deployment.

Lee said Seoul will reflect the results of those discussions in its decision concerning the size, nature and location in Iraq of the dispatch and whether to include combat-ready troops as requested by the United States in August.

A second South Korean fact-finding mission arrived in Iraq last weekend to compile a report on safety, public sentiment and other conditions. The report will also be used as a basis for the final decision.