Citing its embassy staff in Baghdad, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Monday that South Koreans planning to enter Iraq will be exempted from temporary visa requirements until the end of this year. The measure is part of the Iraqi government's decision to allow citizens from countries that maintain a contingent of more than 500 troops in the Gulf nation to enter without visas.
However, Seoul will still have to provide the Iraqi government with information on Korean visitors prior to their entrance. Therefore, Korean officials have called for prospective visitors to provide the ministry with details of their plans and itineraries. South Korea currently maintains a contingent of 660 army engineers and medics in the Middle Eastern state, and will send an additional 3,000 troops beginning next month to assist in peaceful relief efforts in the region. The additional deployment will render South Korea the third largest foreign military presence in Iraq, following the U.S. and Britain.