The issue will come to a head Friday when a motion to extend the so-called Zaytun unit comes up for endorsement at a plenary session of the 299-member National Assembly, Yonhap news agency reported. Zaytun in Arabic means olive, the agency said.

About 700 South Korean troops, down from about 1,300 three years ago, are in Iraq only on a rehabilitation mission. The mission has drawn criticism from anti-war activists and those critical of the U.S. campaign in Iraq, the report said.

Most of the 18 members on the National Assembly's defense committee told Yonhap they want the Zaytun unit's stay in Iraq extended.

"Opinions of opponents should be respected, but I am in favor of extending the troops' stay because South Korea still can play a part in bringing peace to Iraq," one of the members was quoted as saying.

But liberal party members, who do not sit on the defense committee and who along with other supporters control 151 seats in the assembly, do not support the proposal, the report said.