With the survey by the Defense Ministry's fact-finding team underway in Iraq, local citizens in Irbil, one of the two prospective sites for South Korea's troop deployment, say they welcome Seoul's troop dispatch.

Irbil citizens were quoted as saying they would be "thankful" for South Korea's troop deployment in the northern Kurdish region.

When asked why he considered Irbil an appropriate region for South Korea's troop deployment, one 24-year-old local civilian cited the prospect of stable security conditions.

He went on to say that Irbil citizens are ready to cooperate with the Zaitun unit and that troops would be able to safely carry out their mission.

Another prospective site for the deployment of the Zaitun unit is Sulaimaniya, also located in the northern Kurdish region.