The government wants to finalize its plan on sending additional troops to Iraq within this week after consultations with the ruling Uri Party.

The Defense Ministry is currently planning to send an advance party of 800 troops, comprised mainly of army drivers, around early August. They are expected to be followed by the second batch of some one thousand troops in mid- or late August. The ministry also plans to use two 25,000-ton cargo ships to transport supplies and equipment beginning at the end of this month.

Senior officials of the ruling Uri Party and the presidential office, along with the foreign and defense ministers, met with some first-term lawmakers of the ruling party opposed to the troop deployment on Monday night. The government officials sought to convince the lawmakers on the need for the deployment, citing a possible blow to South Korea's alliance with the United States should a decision on the issue be delayed any further.

The National Security Council plans to meet Friday to come up with the final dispatch venue and other details.

President Roh Moo-hyun is scheduled to meet with the Uri Party leadership and legislators opposed to the troop dispatch on Wednesday night to discuss the matter.