South Korea has agreed to dispatch 3,000 troops to <$Ad$>Kirkuk, albeit for "non-military operations," starting next April.

For months we've been getting turned down on requests for significant numbers of troops from other countries. This is a change, one that could be significant both in Iraq and in US-ROK relations. I'm curious what the backstory is.

The Korea Herald says that "If Seoul's plan is approved, the Korean military is expected to pull out a highly organized, well-trained division of 1,400 combatants and 1,600 engineering and medical staff, replacing the U.S. 173 Airborne Brigade based in the northern oil field region near Kirkuk."