Hundreds of anti-war demonstrators gathered in downtown Seoul for a second consecutive day on Tuesday evening to protest the government's plan to send additional troops to Iraq.

Some six-hundred protestors, including legislators from the progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and civic group officials, convened in the Gwanghamun area in central Seoul and rallied until midnight.

DLP lawmaker Lee young-soon was reportedly injured as the demonstrators clashed with riot police while trying to make their way into the U.S. Embassy.

A departure ceremony for the first batch of the 3000-strong Zaitun unit to Iraq was held at a military airport south of Seoul on Monday. But the Defense Ministry, citing security concerns, has imposed a tight media blackout on other details, including the number of troops leaving in the first contingent and their deployment schedule.

The government earlier said it would begin deploying the Zaitun unit to the northern Kurdish-controlled region of Irbil this month in line with its promise to Washington to send more troops to Iraq.

National opposition to the troop deployment has sharply risen since South Korean hostage Kim Sun-il was killed by Islamic militants in Iraq in June.