CINA

The 3,200-strong unit is stationed in Irbil, in Kurdish-majority northern Iraq, making Korea’s the third strongest force in the country after the U.S. and the U.K. The Defense Ministry plans to reduce that number by 1,000 by the end of this year, but the Joint Chiefs of Staff say there are no plans for more troop reductions or a complete withdrawal. "The National Assembly has agreed for the division to be stationed there until the end of this year, and no change is expected as of now,” a ministry official said.

Staunch U.S. ally Japan, however, is pulling its force out of Iraq by the end of May, the Japanese press reported Tuesday. The UK and Australia also plan a total withdrawal of their forces by then, starting from mid-March. The reports said diplomats and defense officials from the three countries and the U.S. agreed the date during a secret meeting in London on Jan. 23.

The Japanese government has been pondering a way out of Iraq since the end of 2005 because it would be difficult for its Self-Defense Force to operate there without the U.K. and Australia providing security for the troops. Japan’s constitution prohibits its military from using force outside the country. Tokyo will hand facilities for its 600 ground forces in the southern town of Samawa to locals and says it will instead contribute more to the country’s reconstruction through Official Development Assistance.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200601/200601310022.html